Starting a family is a major milestone in life. It also requires public service support. In Iceland, parents have the legal right to take leave and receive benefits, which allows them the time to take care of and bond with their babies. Having a baby can be stressful, and time should not be wasted on paperwork or bureaucracy. The digital application for parental leave automises the process and makes the processes simpler, faster and more user friendly. 90% of parents in Iceland currently prefer this option.
Innovation Summary
Innovation Overview
The law in Iceland gives parents the right to take six months of leave or get a grant when they have a new child, either by birth, adoption, or long-term foster care. This is a legal right that supports gender equality and helps parents to balance their work and family life. The right applies to all parents, whether they are working, studying, or not in the labor market. About 8000 applications are made to the fund every year, and most mothers and three-quarters of fathers use their leave.
The parental leave application process is complicated - it requires applications from a parent or parents, and confirmation by an employer, as well as a wide range of information connected to the application’s handling: partnership status, income, tax returns, and participation in trade unions and pension funds. These documents are now all retrieved automatically. The aim was to spare parents-to-be from stress and unnecessary bureaucracy with a simple, user-friendly process adapted to all - parents, employers and the government.
To make it easier for parents to apply for their leave and payments, the process has been digitalized and simplified. Parents can now apply online through the "My pages" section of the Ísland.is portal, where they can see all the information they need from different data systems and agencies. They do not have to fill out multiple forms or send data by email or fax. This also makes the work of the Parental Leave Office more efficient and reduces errors and delays. Parents can plan their leave with their children and employers online, and make changes if needed, without having to submit new applications.
The digital application for parental leave is a positive development for parents and employers in Iceland. It makes the process more user-friendly and transparent, and helps parents to exercise their legal right in a flexible way.
As one of the main aims of parental leave is reaching a balance between work and family life, it is important that both families and employers see the parental leave process and the framework around it in a positive light.
For parents, it is necessary to have an overview of the arrangements and estimated income over the time of the parental leave. Parents commonly extend their leave by spreading payments over a longer time period, some even work part-time during the leave to increase their income and to prolong their time with a newborn baby. This is why it matters to receive a clear overview of the payments and allow changes.
The goal at the end is to support parents during a big moment in their lives. The digital parental leave application has been a great success with 90% of parents choosing digital first.
For the employees of the Parental Leave Fund, the automation has simplified their daily tasks enormously, leading to shorter times for approval, and enabling more personal service in particular cases which demand more time and attention.
Innovation Description
What Makes Your Project Innovative?
The digital application for parental leave has opened the way for handling complex processes in other governmental agencies, which call for gathering data from various sources. The parental leave application process is complicated - it requires applications from a parent or parents, and confirmation by an employer, as well as a wide range of information connected to the application’s handling: partnership status, income, tax returns, and participation in trade unions and pension funds. These documents are now all retrieved automatically. The aim was to spare parents-to-be from stress and unnecessary bureaucracy with a simple, user-friendly process adapted to all - parents, employers and the government.
What is the current status of your innovation?
In the first version of the digital application, about 70% of expectant parents could apply for the parental leave digitally - those on the common labor market and the self-employed. Following that, the application was rolled out for other groups, who can now all send in applications for parental leave online, and follow the status of those applications, add documents and change the arrangement of their leave. Now about 95% of parents can choose to apply digitally.
The parental leave application has led the way for handling complex processes in other governmental agencies, which call for gathering data from various sources and agencies, and other projects are already building on that solution. Sharing resources between projects and institutions ensures that innovation and learning can be transferred between government agencies, from one project to the next.
Innovation Development
Collaborations & Partnerships
At the beginning there was a workshop where the Icelandic Directorate of Labor, the Parental Leave Fund, and the development team from Digital Iceland set goals and drew up a future vision for a digital application process. The staff at the Parental Leave Fund works closely with expectant parents both by phone and email, and have acquired important insights into the challenges that a digital approach must meet, for parents. The IT solution was done in cooperation with the market.
Users, Stakeholders & Beneficiaries
The project made it possible for expectant parents to apply for parental leave and payments online at Ísland.is saving valuable time for applicants and employers. The Parental Leave Fund staff can now work faster and focus on complex cases. The agency also reduced paper use and environmental impact. By making this service digital the public sector can also create jobs across the country.
Innovation Reflections
Results, Outcomes & Impacts
The project made it possible for expectant parents to apply for parental leave and payments online through Ísland.is, which now shows an uptake by 90% of users. The aim is to have all applicants use the digital option. The Parental Leave Fund staff can now work faster and more personally, as they do not need to check paper documents or birth dates. The process is simple, accessible and mobile-friendly, and it collects all the documents electronically from different sources. This also helps the environment by reducing paper waste. Other benefits are:
• Better service and satisfaction for applicants
• More efficiency and accuracy for the fund
• More innovation and learning for other government agencies
Challenges and Failures
The service is a complex process that required a lot of consultation to simplify and make user-friendly. The solution was to set up web service connections and adapt internal systems to receive data. There was also a strong focus on changes in internal processes and modified work methods to be able to transform the whole process.
Conditions for Success
The Parental Leave Fund's digital transformation is part of Digital Iceland, which aims to improve digital services and make them the main contact point between the public and the government. Digital Iceland's goal is to let users access all government data in one place having the appropriate infrastructure to do so regarding accessibility and user friendly interface. It provides resources and support to government agencies for their digital transformation journey. The Digital Iceland concept is all about transferability between government agencies, as well as between private companies working on different projects. They all work towards the same goal - to support the digital transformation of the Icelandic government’s agencies.
Replication
The parental leave application has led the way for handling complex processes in other governmental agencies, which call for gathering data from various sources and agencies, and other projects are already building on that solution. Sharing resources between projects and institutions ensures that innovation and learning can be transferred between government agencies, from one project to the next. For government agencies, being part of Digital Iceland ensures operational sustainability. It involves both political and financial support, along with digital infrastructure to ensure professional and sustainable approaches to digital transformation journey.
Lessons Learned
To design digital services well, we need to focus on users and work in teams. We also need to cooperate with stakeholders to create digital solutions that benefit both users and institutions. At the start of the project, we had a workshop with the Directorate of Labor, the Parental Leave Fund, and Digital Iceland. We set goals and envisioned a digital application process. Being part of Digital Iceland and using their strategy for government agencies helps us speed up the digital transformation for smaller agencies like the Parental Leave Fund. By sharing digital resources, we can concentrate on finding creative solutions for real users and making the service process fit their needs.
Anything Else?
In the video provided the information about the parental leave starts at min. 3.20.
Project Pitch
Supporting Videos
Status:
- Evaluation - understanding whether the innovative initiative has delivered what was needed
- Diffusing Lessons - using what was learnt to inform other projects and understanding how the innovation can be applied in other ways
Innovation provided by:
Date Published:
28 June 2024