Leave & Benefits Simulators for EU Workers
Explore your employment rights across the European Union. From retirement pensions to parental leave, sick pay and unemployment benefits — our tools help you understand and calculate your entitlements in all 27 EU member states.
Nobody hands you a guide when you start working in another EU country. You find out about parental leave when you're already pregnant. You discover sick pay rules when you're already sick. And you learn about pension rights when it's almost too late to fix them. Here's what nobody tells you: an EU worker who moves three times in their career — say from Portugal to Germany to Luxembourg — often loses thousands of euros in benefits simply because they didn't know which forms to file. The U1 form for unemployment, the S1 for healthcare, the A1 for posted workers — these aren't bureaucratic trivia. They're the difference between getting paid and getting nothing. Real numbers matter. In 2026, a mother in Bulgaria gets 58 weeks of maternity leave at 90% of salary. The same mother in Germany gets 14 weeks at 100%. In France, sick employees wait 3 days before CPAM pays anything. In Luxembourg, the employer covers the full salary for 77 days. These aren't small differences — they shape entire family budgets. The EU Work-Life Balance Directive (2019/1158) sets a minimum of 4 months of parental leave per parent, but countries go far beyond. Sweden offers 480 days of shared leave. Germany allows up to 36 months of Elternzeit. And Regulation 883/2004 — the one most people have never heard of — coordinates social security across all 27 member states, allowing pension contributions made in Italy to count when you retire in Spain. I've seen this mistake hundreds of times: workers assume their old country's rules follow them. They don't. Each country pays for the periods you contributed there, and only if you ask correctly. That's why understanding maternity leave Europe 2026, sick leave rights EU, unemployment benefits Europe and EU social security rights isn't optional — it's how you protect years of work you already paid for.
Real numbers that matter in 2026
Side-by-side comparison of the figures that decide your real take-home rights. Sources: EU Directive 2019/1158, Regulation 883/2004, national social security agencies (CNS, CPAM, Krankenkasse, Segurança Social, INSS, INPS).
Maternity leave by country (2026)
| Country | Duration | Salary replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 58 weeks | 90% of salary |
| Germany | 14 weeks | 100% of salary |
| France | 16 weeks | 100% of salary |
| Portugal | 17 weeks | 100% of salary |
| Spain | 16 weeks | 100% of salary |
| Luxembourg | 20 weeks | 100% of salary |
Sick leave – who pays and for how long
| Country | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Germany | Employer: 6 weeks at 100%, then health insurance 70% up to 78 weeks |
| France | Employer: 3 days nothing, then CPAM 50% up to 3 years |
| Luxembourg | Employer: 77 days at 100%, then CNS |
| Portugal | Social security from day 4, 55–75% up to 1095 days |
| Belgium | Employer: 1 month at 100%, then mutuality 60% |
Unemployment benefit duration
| Country | Maximum duration | Replacement rate |
|---|---|---|
| France | Up to 24 months | 57% of salary |
| Germany | Up to 24 months | 60–67% of net wage |
| Portugal | Up to 26 months | 65% of salary |
| Luxembourg | Up to 12 months | 80% of salary |
| Belgium | Unlimited (degressive) | Starts at 65% |
Indicative 2026 values. Consult your national authority for binding figures.
Employment Benefits in the European Union
The European Union provides a robust framework of employment rights and social benefits through directives and regulations that member states implement into national law. The Work-Life Balance Directive (2019/1158) guarantees minimum standards for paternity leave (congé de paternité, Vaterschaftsurlaub), parental leave (congé parental, Elternzeit) and carers' leave across all EU countries. Understanding these entitlements is essential for family planning and career management.
Pension Systems and Retirement Planning
EU pension systems are structured around three pillars: mandatory state pensions (retraite de base, gesetzliche Rente), occupational pensions (retraite complémentaire, betriebliche Altersvorsorge), and private savings. Retirement ages range from 60 to 67 across member states, with most countries gradually increasing. Our retirement simulator uses 2026 official parameters to project your estimated pension based on contribution years, salary and country-specific formulas.
Sick Leave and Unemployment Protection
When illness prevents work, EU countries provide varying levels of sick pay. Germany offers 100% salary continuation for 6 weeks (Entgeltfortzahlung), France provides CPAM indemnités after a 3-day carence, and Luxembourg guarantees full salary for 77 days. Unemployment benefits (allocations chômage, Arbeitslosengeld) vary from 57% of salary in France to 80% in Luxembourg. Duration ranges from 12 to 24 months depending on contribution history and age.