In its November session, the Liechtenstein Parliament unanimously passed the law on paid parental and paternity leave. From January 1, 2026, Liechtenstein will thus have legally regulated, paid parental leave for the first time.
The introduction of these paid periods will transpose the EU Directive on work-life balance for parents and carers into national law.
🎯 Objectives of the law
👉 Implementation of EU Directive 2019/1158 on work-life balance
👉 Promotion of equality and equal sharing of family responsibilities
👉 Strengthening protection against dismissal while taking parental or paternity leave
🧾 Core content
Parental leave:
👉 Each parent is entitled to 4 months of parental leave, 2 months of which are paid with 100% salary compensation (max. CHF 4,760/month)
👉 A further 2 months can be taken unpaid
👉 Flexible use in hours, days, weeks or months possible
Fathers will also be able to enjoy paid paternity leave from 2026. Until now, paternity leave in Liechtenstein has only been the subject of individual collective employment contracts. Now it will be enshrined in law.
Paternity leave:
👉 10 days of paid paternity leave within 8 months of the birth
👉 Compensation at 80% of the salary subject to AHV
👉 Must be taken in one go
Until now, the FAK was financed exclusively by employer contributions. To co-finance the benefits that will now be paid by the FAK-Anstalt, Parliament has decided on an employee contribution of 0.2% of salary.
Financing:
👉 Parental allowance is financed by the Family Compensation Fund (FAK)
👉 Introduction of a general FAK contribution obligation for employees from January 1, 2025 with a contribution rate of 0.2%
📅 Entry into force
January 2026
The LIREX lions will be happy to answer any questions about the new regulations.
