Working fathers will now have more time to spend with their newborns as the law allowing paid paternity leave kicked in from yesterday, aiming at building better family relations in South Africa.
Fathers will now be entitled to 10 consecutive days of parental leave, which also applies when an adoption order is granted. The adopted child must, however, be under two years old.
One parent will be given adoption leave of two months, the other 10 days.
The Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) will start processing claims for the new Parental Benefits from 1 November 2019, to contributing and qualifying UIF beneficiaries.
This follows President Cyril Ramaphosa’s signing a Proclamation to give the highly anticipated Parental Benefit in terms of the Unemployment Insurance Act an effective date from 1 November 2019. Last year, the President signed the Labour Laws Amendment Bill into Act, which effected amendments to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Unemployment Insurance Act of 2001. Through these amendments, UIF contributors will be eligible to claim for the new benefit from the Fund.
The following forms can be used to claim Parental benefit:-UI-19 – Declaration of information of commercial employees and workers employed in the private household
UI 2.7 – Remuneration received by the employer whilst in employment
UI2.8 – Authorisation to pay benefits into banking account
UI2.9 – Application for parental benefits
UI2.9P- Application for parental benefits in terms of Regulation 6 (3)
Qualifying UIF contributors can visit any Labour Centre in the country with the prescribed application form and the following support documents to submit for a Parental Benefit claim:
- Identity Document of the applicant;
- Birth Certificate of the child with full details of parents; and
- Details of a valid bank account.