Women’s Employment Law: the sections this site discusses

What the law provides

Section 6 of the Women’s Employment Law sets the length of maternity leave. An employee who worked at least 12 months for the same employer or at the same workplace before going on the birth and parenting period is entitled to 26 weeks of “birth and parenting period”, while an employee with shorter seniority is entitled to 15 weeks. The maternity allowance from the National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi) is, as a rule, paid only for the first 15 weeks (subject to a qualifying period of insurance contributions). So an employee who chose 26 weeks keeps, for the rest of the period, the right to return to her job and the continuity of her social benefits, but does not receive maternity allowance for it. An employee may give up part of the leave and return to work earlier, and in some cases part of the period can be shared with the father.

Section 7 of the Law gives an employee (and in some cases also a male employee) a right to be absent from work in situations beyond the maternity leave itself: illness caused by the pregnancy or the birth, complications that require rest, and absence for fertility treatment. Absence for fertility treatment requires a written confirmation from the treating doctor that the treatment requires the employee’s absence from work, and advance notice to the employer. Under the rules, the absence counts as part of the employee’s accumulated sick days, up to a number of days set by the number of treatment cycles a year and the length of the work week.

Section 9 of the Law restricts dismissal during protected periods. Dismissing a pregnant employee who has worked for the employer for at least 6 months requires a permit from the Minister of Labor, which will not be given if the dismissal is connected to the pregnancy (section 9(a)). In the 60 days after the end of the birth and parenting period, dismissal is possible only with a permit, and only if the business has stopped operating or the employer was declared bankrupt or went into liquidation (section 9(c)(1a)). The following also require a permit: unpaid leave after the birth period, absence because of a ban on employment during the nursing period, and the 60 days after them (section 9(c)(2)); absence for fertility treatment and the 150 days after it (section 9(e)); and a stay in a shelter for battered women and the 150 days after it (section 9(d)). During these periods it is also prohibited to reduce the scope of the position or the income without a permit (section 9A). Under the Ministry of Labor’s procedure, the permit application is filed on a form together with a reasoned document (up to 5 pages) and supporting documents, both sides are invited to give their version, and the decision is given, as far as possible, within 20 working days of the documents being completed.

Temporary Provision (31 March 2026 to 31 March 2027): unpaid leave of at least 10 consecutive days that the employer put an employee on during the period defined in the Temporary Provision, and in certain cases at least five consecutive days that began on 28 February or 1 March 2026, is not counted in the 60 days after the birth and parenting period if it falls within them. This extends the protection period (section 9(c)(2c) of the Women’s Employment Law). An absence during the period defined in the Temporary Provision because of instructions under the Protection of Employees in Emergencies Law, 5766-2006 (חוק הגנה על עובדים בשעת חירום, התשס״ו-2006) is not considered a prohibited reduction of the scope of the position or of income (section 9A(a2)).

When a permit cannot be obtained at all

Unlike the cases in which a permit can be requested, there are periods in which the Ministry of Labor has no power to approve a dismissal in any case: during the birth and parenting period itself, during days of absence because of a medical condition resulting from the birth (up to 6 months from the end of the period, with a doctor’s approval) and during days of absence of the spouse under section 7(c2) (section 9(c)(1)), and also during the days of absence after a miscarriage (section 9(f)).

A numerical example

Suppose a pregnant employee in week 20, who has worked for her employer for a year, receives a dismissal notice because of “cutbacks”, without any application for a permit having been filed. The dismissal was made in breach of section 9(a). Under section 13A, the Regional Labor Court may order that she be returned to work, and it must award her compensation of at least 150% of the wages she would have been owed for the qualifying period (from the day of dismissal until the end of the protection period or until she returns to work), unless it found special reasons for a different amount. At a wage of NIS 11,000, each month of the qualifying period equals compensation of at least NIS 16,500.

A dismissal notice during a protected period: what to check

1. Seniority: during pregnancy, the protection applies to an employee who has worked for the same employer or at the same workplace for at least six months (section 9(a)).
2. Permit: check whether a permit was given before the dismissal. During the birth and parenting period and the days of absence in section 9(c)(1), dismissal is prohibited and no permit can be obtained.
3. Fertility treatment without absence: the protection applies if the employee (female or male) told the employer about the treatment no later than three working days from the date of the advance notice of dismissal (or from the date of dismissal, if no notice was given) and gave a doctor’s confirmation within 14 days, provided that they have worked for the same employer or at the same workplace for at least six months (section 9(e)(3)).
4. Fixed-term contract: not renewing a contract of 12 months or more, or a shorter contract that extended earlier employment, counts as “dismissal” (section 9(g)).
5. Advance notice: the protected periods in section 9(c) are not counted in the days of advance notice (section 9(c)(3)).
6. Payslips: the compensation under section 13A is calculated on the wages that would have been owed for the qualifying period, and the claim is filed in the Regional Labor Court.

For more on the rights connected to pregnancy, birth and returning to work, see the guide Maternity leave: rights of working parents and the site’s employment law practice area, as well as the employment law content hub.

The sections the site discusses

This page brings together 3 sections of the Women’s Employment Law that are discussed in 2 guides on this site. The title of each section is the marginal note of the consolidated version of the Law (unofficial translation), not a heading we wrote. For the legal content itself, go to the relevant guide or to the original text of the Law. The last column links to the guides on this site that discuss that section.

The original text of the law

• Women’s Employment Law, 5714-1954: text of the Law
• Procedure for filing applications for a dismissal permit under the Women’s Employment Law (updated March 2021) — Ministry of Labor (PDF, in Hebrew)
• Women’s Employment Law: consolidated version on Nevo (Israeli legal database)

FAQ

How long does my maternity leave last?
Under section 6 of the Law, if you worked at least 12 months for the same employer or at the same workplace before going on leave, you are entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave. If your seniority is shorter, the leave is 15 weeks. The maternity allowance from the National Insurance Institute is, as a rule, paid only for the first 15 weeks.

May I be absent from work because of fertility treatment?
Yes. Section 7 of the Law recognizes a right to be absent from work for fertility treatment, subject to a written confirmation from the treating doctor that the treatment requires the absence, and to advance notice to the employer. The absence counts as part of your accumulated sick days, up to a number of days set by the number of treatment cycles.

My employer wants to dismiss me while I’m pregnant. Is that allowed?
Not without a permit, if you have worked for the employer for at least 6 months. Section 9(a) prohibits dismissing a pregnant employee without a permit from the Minister of Labor, which will not be given if the dismissal is connected to the pregnancy, and section 9A also prohibits reducing the scope of her position or her income without a permit. For a dismissal in breach of section 9, the Labor Court awards compensation of at least 150% of the wages for the qualifying period, unless it found special reasons for a different amount, and it may order a return to work (section 13A).

Can a dismissal permit be obtained during the maternity leave itself?
No. This is one of the periods in which the Ministry of Labor has no power to approve a dismissal at all, whatever the reasons. This absolute restriction also applies to the period of medical recovery from the birth (up to 6 months, with a doctor’s approval) and to the period of recovery from a miscarriage.

This page collects the references to legislation on the site. The section headings are the marginal notes as worded in the consolidated text of the law, and are not our interpretation. The binding text is the one published in Sefer HaHukim (the official gazette of statutes). The content here is general information and is not legal advice. Translated: 12 November 2026 · Hebrew version updated: 13 October 2026.