A bill proposes the recognition of parental leave as a contributory period for pension.

The proposed bill aims to amend Law no. 360/2023, with the goal of recognizing parental leave as a contributory period for pensions, which would positively affect thousands of pensioners, especially women. The initiative addresses an existing legislative inequity, in which the period of parental leave has been treated differently depending on when it was taken.

Although since 2006 this leave has been recognized as work seniority, parents who benefited from this right between April 2001 and January 2006 are excluded, which has led to a penalty on their pensions. The project proposes amending Article 47 of the law so that these periods are considered contributory periods, and the recalculation of pensions is done automatically by the National House of Public Pensions, without additional applications. Although the initiative was signed by only one deputy and received a negative opinion from the Economic and Social Council, it continues to be discussed in Parliament.