Shrnutí: “I’m going on maternity leave for three years” is still a common phrase, but it’s not legally accurate. Maternity leave is a leave of absence under the Labour Code and normally lasts 28 weeks, or 37 weeks for multiples. The money you usually receive during this time is called maternity pay (PPM) and is paid by the Czech Social Security Administration. After maternity leave, parental leave and parental allowance usually follow.
Quick overview
Maternity leave is an obstacle to work on the part of the employee. Maternity allowance is a sickness insurance benefit. As a rule, a woman is entitled to PPM if she is insured for sickness at the time she starts work or is in a protective period and has received at least 270 days of sickness insurance in the last 2 years; for self-employed workers, at least 180 days of sickness insurance in the last year before starting work are also required. The woman’s entry into PPM is determined between the beginning of the 8th and the beginning of the 6th week before the expected birth. The amount of the PPM is 70% of the reduced daily assessment base, with the reduction thresholds for 2026 being CZK 1 633, CZK 2 449 and CZK 4 897. It is possible to work during maternity leave, but not the same type of work with the same employer from which the benefit is drawn.
Maternity leave and parental leave are two completely different institutions. They differ in almost everything – in the legislation on which they are based, in the length and amount of the allowance and, to some extent, in the range of persons entitled to it. Maternity leave and parental leave are often confused, but while maternity leave is primarily intended for the period around childbirth, parental leave can last until the child is three years old. So let’s take it one step at a time.
Moreover, maternity and parental leave are not automatically linked, as the transition from maternity to parental leave is not an obligation. While maternity leave is taken by the mother, parental leave can be taken by the child’s father.
This is the most important difference. Maternity leave is an institution of the Labour Code. Your employer excuses your absence from work during this period. Maternity allowance, on the other hand, is a sickness insurance benefit paid by the state through the CSSA. In common parlance, the two are often confused, but legally they are two different things.
In practice, this is particularly important when dealing with returning to work, working while caring for a child, or being self-employed. An employee can take maternity leave, whereas a self-employed person does not have any “leave” from her employer, but can receive PPM if the conditions are met.
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The basic condition for entitlement to maternity allowance is twofold. Sickness insurance must be in force on the day you start receiving PPM, or you must be in a protection period. You also need to have at least 270 days of sickness insurance in the last 2 years before you start the benefit. For self-employed workers, there is an additional condition: participation in sickness insurance as a self-employed worker for at least 180 calendar days in the last year before the PPM.
For female employees, the withdrawal period is very important. If the employment ended during pregnancy, it can be up to 180 calendar days from the end of the insurance; if the employment lasted for a shorter period, the protection period will be as long as the employment. If the insurance ended outside the period of pregnancy, it is usually only 7 days.
Only the mother who gave birth to the child does not have to draw PPM. Under certain conditions, the child’s father or the mother’s husband can also receive it, starting at the beginning of the 7th week after the birth, by written agreement with the mother. The entitlement may also arise when the child is taken into care. In these situations, however, it is necessary to distinguish between the PPM benefit itself and leave under the Labour Code.
In practice, the situation of women on fixed-term contracts is often addressed. If the employment relationship ends during pregnancy, this does not automatically mean the loss of PPM. It is the protection period and the fulfilment of the 270-day insurance condition that is decisive. If these conditions are met, the right to the benefit can be maintained even after the end of employment.
A woman starts receiving maternity allowance between the beginning of the 8th and the beginning of the 6th week before the expected date of childbirth. She chooses the specific day within this period. If she does not specify it, the date of commencement shall be the beginning of the 6th week before the expected date of childbirth. If delivery occurs earlier, the day of onset shall be the day of delivery.
Under the Labour Code, maternity leave lasts 28 weeks, or 37 weeks for the birth of two or more children. If the child is stillborn, the employee is entitled to maternity leave for 14 weeks. As a rule, PPM is granted for the same duration: 28 weeks, or 37 weeks for multiple births. For other insured persons, for example, when a child is taken into care or the father takes PPM in agreement with the mother, it is usually 22 weeks, or 31 weeks for multiples.
On the labour law level, there is one more thing to know: on returning from maternity leave, the employer must reinstate the employee in her original job and workplace. This is a stronger protection than after returning from parental leave, when the employer has to assign “only” work according to the employment contract.
Tip: We have discussed the entitlement to maternity leave in detail in a separate article.
The amount of the PPM is 70% of the reduced daily assessment base per calendar day. For employees, the daily assessment base is usually based on earnings in the 12 calendar months before the start of the benefit. For self-employed persons, it is based on the aggregate of the monthly contribution bases in the reference period.
For 2026, thereduction thresholds areas follows: the first CZK 1 633, the second CZK 2 449 and the third CZK 4 897. The first limit is 100%, between the first and second 60%, between the second and third 30% and above the third limit is not taken into account. The resulting benefit is 70 % of the daily base thus reduced.
Articles on the internet often contain outdated versions of both the reduction thresholds and the various ‘maximum monthly amounts’. It is safer to work with the current reduction limits and calculate the specific amount using the official calculator of the MLSA or the CSSA’s documents. The amount of the PPM is always based on your actual previous income.
Tip: You can find out how to calculate maternity leave in our article.
The application for PPM is usually made by a gynaecologist. The employee forwards it to her employer, who sends it to the relevant Social Security Office. The self-employed person applies directly. An overview of services and forms is also available electronically via the ePortal of the CSSA and the gov.cz portal.
After the end of PPM , most parents take parental leave and parental allowance. This is no longer paid by the ČSSZ but by the Labour Office. As of January 2026, parents without a daily assessment base or with a low daily assessment base can draw up to CZK 15,000 per month for one child and up to CZK 30,000 per month for multiple children; parents with a higher daily assessment base can draw up to 70% of 30 times the daily assessment base.
From a family perspective, it is practical to think that either parent can care for the child after the PPM ends and the father can take parental leave. This is particularly important in families where the mother has a higher income, returns to work earlier or the parents want to take turns in caring.
Yes, but the rules need to be differentiated according to whether we are talking about time off work or the benefit itself. Under the current rules, a mother can work while on maternity leave, but she cannot do the same type of work for the same employer as that for which she is taking maternity pay. She may also work for the same employer in a different type of job or on a temporary or part-time basis. With another employer, the situation is generally more flexible, but the conditions of the specific employment relationship must always be met.
The main change from 1 June 2025 is that a parent on parental leave may perform the same type of work for the same employer on a FTE or a part-time basis. However, according to the MoLSA, this change does not apply to maternity leave, which remains stricter.
Self-employed workers need to be even more careful. If you draw the benefit from the sickness insurance of a self-employed person, you need to carefully assess what activity you personally perform and from which insured activity the benefit is paid. In practice, therefore, it is usually wise to consult the specific scheme in advance, especially if you do not want to stop the business altogether. The basic rules for the self-employed to qualify for the PPM are set by the CSSA, but the specific combination of work and benefit is best assessed individually.
Parental leave is an important period of time that serves to deepen the care of the child. The employee is entitled to take it until the child is 3 years old. We’ve written up all the essentials about parental leave in our separate article.
Maternity leave is a leave of absence from work; maternity allowance is a sickness insurance benefit. In May 2026, the PPM is 70% of the reduced daily assessment base, with reduction thresholds of CZK 1,633, CZK 2,449 and CZK 4,897. A woman who is sickness insured or in a protective period at the time of entry and has at least 270 days of insurance in the last two years will normally qualify for the benefit; in addition, 180 days of sickness insurance in the last year are required for self-employed workers. Entry into the PPM is between the 8th and 6th week before giving birth. It is possible to work during maternity leave, but not in the same type of job with the same employer from which the benefit is drawn. After maternity leave, parental leave and parental allowance usually follow.
Maternity leave is normally 28 weeks for the birth of one child and 37 weeks for the birth of two or more children. The length of maternity leave can also be affected by when a woman starts maternity leave – usually 6 to 8 weeks before giving birth.
You can start maternity leave 6 to 8 weeks before the expected date of delivery. The specific date is up to the mother. If the birth occurs earlier, maternity leave starts automatically on the day of the child’s birth. This is also the start of the so-called ‘support period’ during which maternity allowance (maternity allowance) is paid.
Maternity pay (PPM) is not paid by the employer, but by the Czech Social Security Administration (CSSA). The money is usually paid monthly in arrears, similar to sickness benefits. The employer simply forwards the application to the relevant Social Security Office. If you are self-employed, you make the application yourself. So-called “maternity leave” is not paid out as sick leave; the money is always due from sickness insurance only.
The procedure is simple:
The gynaecologist issues a form Application for maternity cash assistance.
The employee forwards the form to her employer, who forwards it to the Social Security Office.
The self-employed woman sends the form to the Social Security Office herself.
The Labour Office does not usually intervene in the maternity leave process – it deals with parental allowance.
The end of maternity leave occurs after the relevant weeks have elapsed. The parent can then ask the employer to take parental leave and apply for parental allowance at the Labour Office.
After the end of maternity leave, the employer is obliged to reinstate the mother to her original job and workplace. The transition to parental leave is not an obligation, but most parents use it in practice.
Have you applied for sickness, maternity, parental allowance or other benefit and instead of the expected support, you received a rejection? Or were you awarded a benefit in a lower amount than is appropriate for your situation?
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
Ondřej is the attorney who came up with the idea of providing legal services online. He's been earning his living through legal services for more than 15 years. He especially likes to help clients who may have given up hope in solving their legal issues at work, for example with real estate transfers or copyright licenses.
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