Employment Amendment Act 2026
Passed
Simplified for You
What this bill does
This bill creates new parental leave rights for employees who adopt children or become legal guardians of children under 24 months old. It gives mothers up to 13 weeks of leave and fathers up to 5 days of leave, with paid leave available for employees who have worked continuously for at least one year.
If Passed (Voted Yes)
Adoptive mothers would get 13 weeks parental leave (paid if employed for 1+ years, unpaid if less)
Adoptive fathers would get 5 consecutive days parental leave (paid if employed for 1+ years, unpaid if less)
Employees on parental leave would be protected from termination and guaranteed their job back or a comparable position
Leave must be taken within 14 weeks of the adoption/guardianship court order
If Rejected (Voted No)
Employees who adopt children or become guardians would have no legal right to parental leave
These employees would need to rely on their employer's goodwill or use annual leave/unpaid time off
No job protection would exist for employees taking time off after adoption/guardianship
Who It Affects
This primarily affects Bermudian employees who are planning to adopt children or become legal guardians of young children (under 24 months). It also affects employers who will need to provide this leave and potentially arrange temporary coverage for these positions.
Vote counts are not published.
The Bermuda Parliament does not publicly record individual vote counts or how each member voted.
Write to your MP about this