In Spain, if your employee goes off on maternity leave, 4 months, and you need someone to cover for her, the state will pay the social security ( 40% appr. of her salary) for the new girl and the wages of the pregnant/new mother. So businesses are o.k., someone has a new temporary job and new mother is having 4 months with her new baby. If the business doesn't need a cover, they still have to pay new mother's ss, but state pays her salary. Last year father's paternity leave came in, but I'm not sure of the rules, my son got 3 months, same conditions I think.