Holidays for families with children in 2026: what is important to know
Failure to comply with labor guarantees when providing leave remains a common problem for employees with children. The law provides for a number of support measures for young and large families, including special conditions for granting leave. Experts remind that timely planning and knowledge of support mechanisms help to avoid conflicts with the employer. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
The possibilities of planning a vacation with a child in 2026
Alexey Govyrin, a State Duma deputy and member of the Committee on small and medium-sized enterprises, noted that in addition to the basic annual leave, parents can take advantage of a number of additional opportunities.
According to him, leave can be divided into parts by agreement with the employer, while one of them must be at least 14 calendar days, and withdrawal from leave is possible only with the consent of the employee — unused days in this case can be used later at a convenient time.
The legislation also provides for unpaid leave for family reasons: at the birth of a child, the employer must provide up to five calendar days.
For parents with many children, the right to additional unpaid leave of up to 14 days remains, but it is valid only if it is stipulated in the collective agreement, the terms of which must be checked in advance.
Parents of disabled children can receive four additional paid days off per month upon written request.
— And finally, if there is a difficult work schedule, one of the parents of a child under the age of 14 has the right to ask for part—time work and the employer is obliged to establish it, - the expert emphasized.
Special vacation conditions for large families
The parliamentarian recalls that the legislation establishes the right to choose a convenient time for annual paid leave for certain categories of employees.
A parent with many children who is raising three or more children under the age of 18 can take a vacation at a convenient time until the youngest child turns 14. A similar right is granted to one of the parents of a disabled child under the age of 18, who independently determines the period of annual paid leave.
— Another situation that is often overlooked: at the request of the husband, annual leave should be granted during his wife's maternity leave, even if the employer's length of service is short. A woman has a separate guarantee: annual leave is given at her request before maternity leave, immediately after it, or after parental leave," added Govyrin.
How to plan a vacation for parents
Alexey Govyrin recommends starting planning a vacation with a child even before the employer approves the vacation schedule for the next year.
According to him, the Labor Code stipulates that the order of granting vacations is fixed in the schedule and is mandatory for both the employee and the employer.
In this case, it is optimal to choose suitable dates in advance, taking into account school holidays, medical treatment or trips, and apply to the HR department with a request to include them in the vacation schedule.
Copies of children's birth certificates should be attached to the application, and if you have the status of a large family or a disabled child, documents confirming the relevant right.
What to do in case of violation of the labor rights of parents
Govyrin noted that if an employer refuses to grant leave, communication should be translated from oral to written form. To do this, the employee is recommended to submit an application in two copies and receive a mark of its acceptance on his copy.
Further, several protection mechanisms can be used: the trade union is able to help already at the stage of agreeing on a vacation schedule and internal negotiations, especially if it participates in the discussion of local regulations.
Social protection authorities can confirm the status of a large family and the right to support measures, but they do not consider disputes about leave. The key tool for protecting labor rights is the State Labor Inspectorate, where an appeal can be sent — the inspectorate has the right to conduct an inspection and issue a mandatory order to the employer.
— If the employer has established a labor dispute commission, you can also apply there. The court remains the final option when the issue is not voluntarily closed," the expert concluded.
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