Pursuant to Article 139 of the Labor Code 2019 , the maternity leave period is stipulated as follows:
- Female employees are entitled to 6 months of maternity leave in total of before and after giving birth; Prenatal leave period must not exceed 2 months.
- In case a female employee gives birth to twins or more, from the second child onwards, the mother is entitled to an additional month of leave for each child.
- At the end of the prescribed maternity leave period, if needed, female employees can take an additional period of unpaid leave after agreement with the employer.
- Before the end of the prescribed maternity leave period, female employees can return to work after taking at least 4 months of leave, but the employee must notify in advance to receive approval and confirmation from the employer upon a competent medical examination and treatment facility/hospitals, that going back to work early is not harmful to the employee's health.