« Let toddler parents go down in time – with compensation »
After a long absence, the reduction of working hours has again ended up in the political hot air. The main alternative seems to be to transfer the decisions to the social partners. But there are reasons to consider supplementary reforms.
The debate often states that shorter working hours are needed to make the family puzzle work. But it is mainly during the toddler years that full -time work causes problems, and the line of work must not be interpreted as a requirement for the same weekly working hours throughout life. The Social Democrats’ proposal for the opportunity for the most worn out to go down in working hours in the last few years without losing pension points is based on insight into this. Public health would gain from giving mothers and fathers the opportunity for a similar work relief during the toddler years.
The measures can be financed through reduced costs for preschool and VAB as well as through positive health effects
The reform would be able to consist of extended parental leave, followed by six -hour working day when the child starts in preschool. The measures can be financed through reduced costs for preschool and VAB as well as through positive health effects.
You can currently receive parental allowance for a total of 480 days, of which 390 are replaced at sickness benefit level (SEK 250-1250/day). The remaining 90 « low -level days » are only replaced by SEK 180 per day regardless of income (a form of low « custody allowance »).
The mothers are on average unpaid vacant for four months during the child’s first two years, while the fathers on average are vacant without compensation for just under a month
According to the report on modern parental insurance (SOU 2017: 101), the Swedes believe that children should not start in preschool until the age of two. The statistics also show that many parents shoot at the debut by being at home for several months without compensation. The mothers are on average unpaid vacant for four months during the child’s first two years, while the fathers are on average without compensation for almost a month.
Parents with high income are vacant significantly longer without compensation than mothers and fathers with lower income. The difference is not because the latter do not want to be at home. In surveys, people with low -income profession have consistently been most positive about a delayed debut in preschool, and especially women. But many cannot afford.
To increase the number Months with parental insurance from 16 months (13 at sickness benefit level and 3 with low level days) to 24 months (13+11) can be financed by dropping costs for preschool and VAB. It is enough to increase compensation for eleven months with low level days from SEK 180 to 800 per day. During these months, the pensionable income will be SEK 24,000. This can be compared to the fact that the maximum level for sickness benefit is just under SEK 24,000.
The calculation is based on the municipalities’ average net cost per child in preschool, which in 2023 amounted to SEK 169,000. However, this sum must be listed with the additional cost for the smallest children that follow from higher staff density (calculated on the National Board of Health’s norm of three children per employee). It will then be SEK 276,000 per child per year. In addition, it comes to drop costs for VAB. More paid months provide the opportunity to increase the number of non-translucable « paternal months ».
The replaced time should be personal and not be able to be transferred between the spouses
After the two -year anniversary If each parent could be offered compensation for two hours of reduced working hours per day for a maximum of one year per child. A prerequisite should be that the weekly working hours amount to at least 20 hours but do not exceed 30. The replaced time should be personal and cannot be transferred between the spouses.
There is much evidence that the compensation for the six -hour day should not be income -based but instead provide equal support to everyone, in order to contribute to an economic basic security for all toddler parents who choose to go down in working hours. If the timer is set to SEK 100, the reform would cost the state SEK 95,000 for each child and parent who utilizes the grant. The reform probably cannot be fully financed by the drop -out costs and it assumes that the preschools’ fees are changed to reflect the child’s approximate residence time. But in addition, the benefit of reduced sick leave.
Extended parental leave is often portrayed as a trap that hinders women in their careers. But it is highly calculated only one -sixth of all men and women who become managers and maybe about as many who make careers through gradually more advanced tasks.
Family policy must also take into account the needs of those who cannot or do not want to make a career. Among them are many who cannot use flex time or distance work to facilitate the family puzzle. The proposed reform is about freedom of choice where each parent is allowed to decide on the needs of their own and the family. It is an offer that you can refuse.
It is the women who will earn the most of the reform, both with respect to health and reduced unpaid parental leave
In this context, it is important to realize that it is the women who will benefit most from the reform, both in terms of health and reduced unpaid parental leave. In recent decades, stress -related ill health has increased rapidly – and especially among women between 30 and 39, the typical toddler years.
For the children, more time with parents gives improved opportunities for safe connection. It is important that all families are given good conditions to lay a good basis for their children’s development and to prevent mental illness as far as possible. Reduced stress and more time for the children can also affect the will to have children.
The Social Democrats have Historically, for parental insurance and childcare, but did not always understand the difference in conditions between « ordinary people » (the working class) and high -paid academics. The Social Democratic Party Congress should pay attention to this when it debates the issue of shortening of working hours. During the 1980s, the Women’s Association agitated for Six hour for toddler parents and LO proposed in 1987 that parental insurance should be extended to 24 months. Then GDP per capita was only half against today.
