Grandparents in Sweden can now take parental leave. Americans forced to look on longingly

It is no secret that parents can use all the help they can get while raising a child and grandparents are usually the first people they turn to for help. But with people living busy lives, it can get difficult for families to help with looking after a new baby. To ensure that parents get as much support as possible, Sweden has extended its parental leave to grandparents through a new policy effective from July 1 this year, as per Sweden's Social Insurance Agency. Parents can extend up to 45 days of their leave to their family or friends who help care for their children.

The law also allows single parents to transfer up to 90 days of their paid leave to any other person for taking care of their child, as per The New York Times. The law was given a green light by Sweden's 349-seat parliament Riksdag last December. This is a huge addition to Sweden's already articulate parental leave policy of both parents getting a combined paid time off of 480 days for each child. Parents can even take 30 days of time off together during the baby's first year. Sweden's new step towards allowing parents to get extra help with their baby has brought attention to America's parental leave laws that do not guarantee any paid parental leave.

In the US, mandatory paid leave is available to federal employees in selected states, leaving the country much behind in terms of providing parents proper support when it comes to raising their children. "Nordic countries that have very generous policies, to begin with, they keep getting more generous and more flexible and we seem to keep getting farther and farther behind," Richard Petts, a professor of sociology at Ball State University and an expert on parental leave, told the publication. However, he also pointed out that the policy in Sweden might look like a "gold standard," but the same is not possible in the US because of people's reluctance to pay higher taxes. Sweden's taxes continue to be one of the highest in the world.

The professor highlighted how Sweden's new law, which includes grandparents, would especially help single parents have a work-life balance. The policy has been discussed for quite a few years to make it possible for single mothers to get help, as per Le Monde. According to the country's social insurance agency's report, fathers took around 27% of the parental leave being offered, an increase of seven percent over the last decade. The 480 days of leave can either be shared or used by one parent. For 390 days out of 480, parents get paid 80 percent of their income, while for the rest of the days, they get paid the minimum amount of 180 kronor or $17.31. This leave must be taken before the child turns twelve. Ninety days are reserved for each parent out of the 480.

Sweden's government noted that families in the country are different from families around the world and thus have different needs, as per the outlet. The parliament felt that restrictions to the leave policy "may prevent some people from caring for a child and parents from balancing their family and professional lives." They wanted to introduce more flexibility through the new policy that allows parents to get help from a third party while compensating them fairly for the same.