The Knesset Legislative Committee on Sunday approved a bill authored by MKs Uri Maklev and Moshe Gafne seeking to end discrimination and to permit avreichim to be regarded as working spouse with regards to sick days. Business owners represented on the committee were strongly opposed, explaining the cost to the economy for such a law will be too high to justify the move, however, despite objections, the ministerial committee approved the bill.

The law permits an employee to take off eight sick days annually for a child, with a provision that the employee’s spouse is employed. To date, avreichim are not viewed as employed and therefore, their working wives are deprived of these eight days for sick children.

Maklev believes the discrimination against avreichim and students in higher education must be regarded as working for the purpose of this law for they too cannot just take a day off as they are indeed ‘working’.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)