New law on employer-sponsored childcare in El Salvador

In May 2018, the Salvadoran Congress passed the Special Law for the Regulation and Installation of Childcare Centers for workers’ children. The new law, which will take effect on June 19, 2020, stipulates an employer’s responsibilities when providing nurseries and childcare services for workers’ children, either on-site or off-site, in the workplace.

The new law is an important development. Since 1983 the Salvadoran Constitution has recognized the employer’s obligation to provide and maintain childcare centers in the workplace for workers’ children but acknowledged that secondary legislation was needed to regulate the implementation of this obligation. With its approval of the law, El Salvador took a step forward in recognizing working parents’ right to receive the necessary support for the care of their children and to combine family obligations with work responsibilities and social/public life.

This brief provides historical background, lists the law’s key points, reviews concerns some civil society organizations have about implementation, and presents recommendations from the Fair Labor Association.