Portugal expands parental leave options for school‑holiday working parents

Portuguese workplaces are adapting to families with children on school break. The Work Hub centre offers remote‑workers free Wi‑Fi, power banks, noise‑cancelling headphones and dedicated childcare zones such as KidZania, UBBOlândia and themed playgrounds, allowing parents to focus on tasks while children play safely.

Legal experts highlight two under‑used Portuguese leave schemes that can help parents during school holidays. Complementary parental leave can be taken until the child turns six and is subsidised at 30 % of reference pay (40 % if both parents share the full period), with part‑time options at 20 % and the possibility to split up to three months into non‑consecutive blocks. A separate unpaid assistance‑to‑child leave, available until the child is 12, can be used after the complementary leave and lasts up to two years per parent regardless of the number of children. These measures, introduced in 2023, aim to increase parental involvement in child care while maintaining work productivity.