The Armenian government has approved a draft law proposing amendments to the country’s Labor Code that would introduce the concept of a “parental hour.”
The initiative was presented during a Cabinet meeting by First Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Artyom Smbatyan.
According to the deputy minister, the proposed changes are aimed at strengthening social protections for employees with children and improving the balance between work and family life.
Under the draft law, parents caring for children under the age of 12, as well as parents of children under 18 with severe or profound disabilities, would be entitled to use a “parental hour.” The right would also apply to adoptive parents, foster parents, and legal guardians.
The proposal states that parents with up to two children would be allowed to take up to 30 minutes off work daily while keeping their salary. Parents with three or more children would be eligible for up to one hour per day away from work.
In addition, parents of children under 18 with severe disabilities would be entitled to up to one hour of parental leave per day regardless of the number of children in the family.
Officials say the proposed regulations are designed to improve employee welfare and expand opportunities for combining professional and family responsibilities.
