In both Slovakia and Czechia you may work without any income limit while receiving the parental allowance, but the maternity benefit is stricter: you cannot earn from the very activity that the benefit is paid from. The two countries share this logic yet differ in amounts, durations and thresholds.
What is the difference between maternity benefit and parental allowance?
The maternity benefit is a social-insurance payment that replaces income during the first months of childcare. In Slovakia it is paid for 34 weeks (37 for a single parent, 43 for twins or more) at 75 % of the daily assessment base. In Czechia the equivalent, peněžitá pomoc v mateřství, runs for 28 weeks (37 for multiple births) at 70 % of the reduced daily assessment base.
The parental allowance is a state benefit independent of prior insurance. In Slovakia it is 364.80 € per month in 2026, or 500.10 € if the parent previously drew the maternity benefit for the same child. In Czechia it is a fixed total of 350,000 CZK (525,000 CZK for multiple births), drawn until the child turns three. This different nature is exactly why the rules on working differ.
Can you work while receiving the maternity benefit?
Yes, but with a key limit that applies in both countries: you cannot earn from the same insured activity that the maternity benefit is paid from. If the benefit flows from your main employment, you cannot draw a wage from that same job during the benefit period.
Both systems allow you to work under a different contract or a separate activity. Example: a mother receives the maternity benefit from her main job while earning under a separate agreement with another employer. That income does not endanger the benefit, because it comes from a different source than the one paying the benefit.
Why is the parental allowance unrestricted?
The parental allowance is not a wage replacement but support for a family caring for a young child. Neither Slovak nor Czech law sets an income ceiling for it. A parent may therefore work full time, on an agreement, or run a business alongside the allowance without losing it, provided proper childcare is ensured.
In practice parents often alternate. Example: the father returns to full-time work while the mother draws the parental allowance and works part time. Both incomes and the allowance run in parallel, entirely legally, in Slovakia as well as in Czechia.
How are pay and working hours set on return?
When returning during parental leave, a shorter working time is the most common arrangement. In both countries the employer must, as a rule, grant a request for reduced hours from a parent of a young child unless serious operational reasons prevent it. Pay is then reduced in proportion to hours worked, and contributions and tax are calculated from the actual income.
The essential step is to align the return with whichever benefit is currently running. If you return while the maternity benefit is still paid, it must be a different activity; once you are on the parental allowance, the restriction falls away.
What happens with contributions during parental leave?
Parental leave under labour law lasts until the child is three (up to six in Slovakia where the child’s health requires it). During this period the employer pays no wage, so no ordinary income contributions arise from the employment. The care period is treated as a protected period for pension purposes in both countries.
If you do work during parental leave, contributions and tax on the new income are handled in the standard way, as for any employee. The parental allowance itself stays outside payroll, because it is paid by the labour office, not the employer.
When can the father draw the benefit?
Neither benefit is tied exclusively to the mother. The father can draw the maternity benefit if he takes over care and the mother does not draw it for the same child at the same time. On top of that, both countries provide a separate short paternity benefit around the birth (14 days in Slovakia, two weeks in Czechia).
The parental allowance can likewise be drawn by either parent who cares for the child, regardless of who took the maternity benefit. Families therefore often combine one full-time income with a second parent on the allowance working part time.
Setting up work alongside maternity and parental leave is risk-free when the benefits, contracts and contributions all line up. We are happy to review your payroll setup so you never lose a single benefit.
FAQ
Can I work for the same employer while on maternity benefit?
You cannot draw a wage for work in the very insured activity from which the maternity benefit is paid. You can, however, work and earn under a different contract or a separate activity unrelated to the benefit. Such income does not endanger the maternity benefit in either Slovakia or Czechia.
Will I lose the parental allowance if I earn a lot?
No. The parental allowance has no income ceiling in either country. In Slovakia it is 364.80 € or 500.10 € per month in 2026; in Czechia it is a fixed total of 350,000 CZK. The amount does not depend on how much you earn alongside it, only on ensuring proper childcare.
Must my employer grant shorter hours after parental leave?
If you care for a young child and request reduced working time, the employer must generally grant it unless serious operational reasons stand in the way. With shorter hours the wage is reduced proportionally and contributions and tax are calculated accordingly.