Redefining ‘delivery’
On October 13, 2025, a bill for amendments to the Employment and Industrial Relations Act (Chapter 452) was tabled at Parliament, with the aim of making the law more supportive and equitable for working parents.
As it stands, the law defines the term “confinement” to mean ‘the birth of a living child or the birth of a child whether living or dead after seven months of pregnancy.’
New amendments seek to remove this term and introduce the term “delivery”, to be defined as “the birth of a child, whether alive or stillborn, occurring from the twenty-second (22nd) week of pregnancy onwards.”
Such matters are still being discussed at Parliament level and it has yet to be determined whether the term ‘confinement’ will continue to be present in other regulations under Chapter 452, or whether further changes may follow as a result.
Bereavement Leave increases
A major change was also announced recently by the Government of Malta, this being an increase in bereavement leave for parents who lose a child. Currently, the law only allows one or two days off depending on job sector. This shall now be increased to seven days of paid leave for each parent, including same-sex couples.
The Minister explained that this issue emerged during discussions on miscarriage leave, where it became evident that there was a gap period of leave entitlement where women who lose their baby after 22 weeks are not entitled to either miscarriage or maternity leave.
This would mean that full-time employees shall be paid their full salary, part-time employees shall be paid on a pro-rata basis and self-employed parents shall be paid the national median wage. These costs are intended to be covered by the Government, so employers aren’t burdened financially.
These changes are set to come into effect on the 1st of January, 2026, marking a significant step forward in supporting families during some of life’s most challenging moments.
