The Islamic University of Lebanon (IUL) is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that ensures women can actively participate in academic and professional activities. This commitment includes maternity policies designed to accommodate and support women, ensuring their ability to balance personal and professional responsibilities.

IUL provides maternity leave in accordance with Lebanese labor laws, which stipulate provisions for working women during and after pregnancy. The university also offers flexible arrangements for women who need additional support during maternity, including extensions for leave, modified work schedules, or accessible facilities on campus.

Through these policies and practices, IUL aims to empower women to achieve their academic and professional goals without being disadvantaged due to maternity or caregiving responsibilities. For specific details on maternity policies, referring to IUL’s employee handbook or administrative guidelines is recommended.

Maternity and paternity policy

Maternity policies:

• There is a special policy that lowers the teaching burden for a pregnant female instructor that could reach a 0% teaching load per semester in the third trimester of pregnancy. Similarly, the workload for a pregnant employee is also lessened in the advanced trimester of pregnancy.
• Both the pregnant employees and instructors that have critical pregnancy cases and advised for home rest, are granted several months of sick leaves based on their case and their doctor health report which are also paid.
• Every employee and instructor who delivers a baby is granted a maternity leave for 40 days which is paid.
• The IUL affords family planning services where every new married employee is granted and extra monthly salary as bonus. Similarly, in the case of a new baby delivery, the new mothers are granted an extra monthly salary as a bonus
• Furthermore, an extra monthly partial salary and financial aid is added to the mom’s salary for every new-born baby. Under the umbrella of IUL family planning services, every mom benefits from health care insurance for herself, as well as each child and even her husband in case the latter has no health insurance 
• Additionally, every employed mom benefit from financial aid for paying the school tuition for their children that is equivalent to 75% of the tuition. Moreover, and from its vision of the right of acquiring higher education, the IUL grants a 100 % free registration in any of its faculties. In case the specialty is not integrated within the various faculties of the IUL, the latter affords the children with a financial aid up to 75% of the tuition of another university. 

Paternity policies

• All male employees are eligible to have a paternity leave of two paid days.
• An employed father takes advantage from all the family planning services mentioned above similar to that of employed mothers on the level of financial, insurance and educational aids and other facilities.

Labour Code, dated 23 September 1946 (Al-jarida al-rasmiya, 1946) as amended. Publication of 2010.

Social Security Act, dated 26 September 1963 (Al-jarida al-rasmiya, 1963), as amended. Publication of 2003

 

Decree No. 7352 of February 1st. 2002, to implement the section of the optional insurance as provided in the branch of health insurance and maternity.

MATERNITY LEAVE

Scope

Maternity leave under the Labour Code applies to all female salaried employees and wage-earners in commercial, industrial, educational establishments and charity foundations. However the following categories are excluded;

1. Domestic servants employed in private houses;
2. Agricultural corporations which have no connection with trade or industry and which shall be the object of a special law;
3. Family concerns employing solely members of the family under the management either of the father, the mother or the guardian;
4. Municipal or government services in what concerns the employees and casual wage-earners and journeymen, who are not governed by the civil servants regulations. These agents shall be the object of a special law.

Labour Code Art.7,8

Qualifying conditions

Women in all categories indicated in the Labour Code are entitled to maternity leave on production of a medical certificate stating the presumed date of childbirth.

Labour Code Art.28

Duration

General total duration

Under the Labour Code the total duration is 7 weeks including the prenatal period and the period following the childbirth.

Labour Code Art.28

Historical data (year indicates year of data collection)

2009: 7 weeks including the prenatal period and the period following the childbirth.

2004: Seven weeks

1998: Forty days

1994: Forty days

Leave in case of illness or complications

The Social Security Act provides a suplementary benefits to those workers who are temporary unavailable to perform work as a result of a sickness related to the childbirth and medical cares will be granted up to 26 weeks.

Art.13(2)(c), 15(1)(c),19

CASH BENEFITS

Maternity leave benefits

Scope

Under the Labour Code, every female employee is entitled to maternity leave except;

1. Domestic servants employed in private houses;
2. Agricultural corporations which have no connection with trade or industry and which shall be the object of a special law;
3. Family concerns employing solely members of the family under the management either of the father, the mother or the guardian;
4. Municipal or government services in what concerns the employees and casual wage-earners and journeymen, who are not governed by the civil servants regulations. These agents shall be the object of a special law.

Under the Social Security Act , maternity benefits are granted to assured workers except to national workers engaged in Lebanon by an institution having its headquarters or a branch in Lebanon and working abroad if they are subject and enjoy of such benefits or equivalent in the countries where they work. Neither those foreign workers who work in Lebanon but they enjoy similar benefits in their home countries.

Labour Code Art.7,8

Social Security Act Art.9 (Recitals 2nd and 4th)

Duration

Women working in all categories mentioned in the Labour Code are entitled to a delivery holiday of 7 weeks.

Every assured worker is entitled to enjoy maternity benefits with a duration of 10 weeks including the delivery, as long as the worker do not perform any type of work during this time.

Labour Code Art.28

Social Security Act Art.26

Amount

Under the Labour Code the amount is 100% of normal wage.

The amount of maternity benefits provided within the Social Security Act shall be two thirds of the average daily earnings.

Labour Code Art.29

Social Security Act Art.26(2)

Historical data (year indicates year of data collection)

2009: 100 per cent of normal wage.

2004: One hundred percent

1998: One hundred percent

1994: One hundred percent

Financing of benefits

The employer.

(Cash benefits are also provided by the Social Security Act. The Social Security Act provides that cash benefits will be paid by the National Social Security Fund. It is unclear how these benefit entitlements interact.)

Labour Code Art.29

Social Security Act Art.26

Historical data (year indicates year of data collection)

2009: The employer. (Cash benefits are also provided by the Social Security Act. The Social Security Act provides that cash benefits will be paid by the National Social Security Fund. It is unclear how these benefit entitlements interact.)

2004: Social security & employer

1998: Employer

1994: Employer

Alternative provisions

The woman who has availed herself of the 7 week delivery holiday, with full pay, has the right to recive the wage or salary for the period of her ordinary annual leave, which she may obtain during the same year.

Labour Code Art.29