The Labor Code of the Republic of Armenia establishes the rights and guarantees of pregnant women and employees caring for children under the age of three.

Accordingly, an employer is prohibited from terminating an employment contract with a pregnant woman at the employer’s initiative from the date she submits a certificate confirming her pregnancy to the employer until one month after the end of maternity leave, except in cases where the employment contract is terminated due to the liquidation of the organization. It is also prohibited to assign pregnant women or women caring for a child under one year of age to heavy, hazardous, particularly heavy, or particularly hazardous work as defined by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia.

Under the Labor Code, employed women are entitled to maternity leave as follows:

1. 140 days — 70 days before childbirth and 70 days after childbirth,
2. 155 days — 70 days before childbirth and 85 days after childbirth, in the case of a complicated delivery,
3. 180 days — 70 days before childbirth and 110 days after childbirth, in the case of the birth of more than one child at the same time.

At the request of the mother, father or guardian, childcare leave is granted until the child reaches the age of three.

At the employee’s request, women may be granted annual leave before or after maternity leave before completing six months of continuous employment. Pregnant women and employees caring for a child under the age of 14 have the right to choose the timing of their annual leave after completing six months of continuous employment.

The Labor Code also specifies the conditions under which pregnant women and employees caring for children under the age of three may be involved in work. Accordingly, at the request of a pregnant woman or an employee caring for a child under one year of age, part-time working hours or a part-time working week may be established. In such cases, the employee is paid in proportion to the actual time worked or the actual work performed.

Pregnant women and employees caring for a child under one year of age may be involved or required to participate only with their consent in:

• overtime work;
• work on rest days;
• duty shifts at home or at the organization (in the case of pregnant women and employees caring for a child under three years of age);
• work on non-working public holidays and memorial days;
• business trips.

A breastfeeding employee is entitled, until the child reaches the age of one and a half years, to an additional break for feeding the child every three hours, in addition to the breaks provided for rest and meals. Each such break must be at least 30 minutes long. During these breaks, the employee is paid at the rate of their average hourly wage.