Belarus Celebrates Father's Day

Father's Day is celebrated in Belarus today. The President has warmly congratulated Belarusian fathers, emphasizing the special role of men as protectors and supporters of the family. The holiday was added to the country's calendar in 2022. The date was chosen deliberately: it allowed for the celebration of mothers and fathers to be combined into a single week of parental love. For this event, Belstat has prepared statistical profiles of Belarusian parents: where fathers most often live, what education they have, and what fields they work in.

Fathers are usually married, have two children, and live in urban areas. The most common fields of employment include manufacturing and construction.

Belarus offers a number of labor guarantees and social support measures for fathers. One such provision is leave upon the birth of a child.

A father can take up to 14 calendar days off within six months of the baby's birth. Furthermore, the law allows fathers to take parental leave for up to three years of age in lieu of the mother.

Additional guarantees apply to fathers with many children, as well as men raising a child with disabilities. In this case, you can expect one day off per week with full pay. By agreement with the employer, the additional day off can be replaced by a reduction in the workday by an hour.

A separate set of measures concerns employment. This includes a guaranteed contract extension in the event of parental leave up to the age of three. Upon returning to work, the contract can be extended at least until the child reaches the age of five.