Greece loses case on paternal leave in European court
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Greece for refusing to allow male civil servants the right to take paid paternal leave if their wives are not working.
The case was brought to court by a judge, Constantinos Maistrellis, who was refused nine months of paid paternal leave in late 2010 after the birth of his child.
He took his case to the Council of State in Greece, which referred it to the ECHR.
The European court found that the Greek state’s rules were in conflict with the right to parental leave in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
It also stated that the rule violated the EU directive on sex discrimination in employment as female civil servants were not bound by the same restriction.
