Panama’s Paid Paternity Leave Law Takes Effect

Paternity leave is on the rise globally as cultural attitudes shift in favor of fathers taking a more active role in parenting. On May 24, 2017, the Republic of Panama became the latest member of a growing group of countries that require paid paternity leave. Law 27 of May 23, 2017, grants three business days of paid paternity leave from the date of childbirth, as long as the male employee provides his employer with (i) at least one week of notice of his spouse’s or cohabitant’s due date, and (ii) a birth certificate issued by the National Directorate of the Civil Registry certifying him as the father of the child. The three-day paid leave qualifies as service time in Panama, and the employee may not work for any other employer or be self-employed during his leave.