On August 8, 2020, Wanda Vázquez Garced signed into law an amendment to the Puerto Rico Working Mothers Act. Under the amendment, adoption leave benefits were extended to female employees adopting minors 6 years old or older. Now, these adopting mothers will have a paid leave of 5 weeks. The leave will begin from the date the child is received in the family nucleus. This amendment does not alter the adoption leave that was already provided for in the Working Mothers Act providing 8 weeks of paid leave to mothers adopting a child 5 years old or younger, not enrolled in school. Employees must provide 30 days’ notice to their employer of their leave request and intention to adopt a minor, as well as their return to work plans.

For guidance on leave management issues, please contact a Jackson Lewis attorney. Register here if you would like to receive information about our workthruIT® Leave & Accommodation Suite. The Leave & Accommodation Suite provides subscribers an expanding array of tools to manage leave and accommodation issues, including electronic access to a state and local leave law database that is developed and updated continually by our Disability, Leave & Health Management attorneys.