Swedishness Episode #1 Parental Leave

Swedishness Podcast Parental Leave in Sweden (episode 1)

Sweden knows its awesomeness, and is ready to share it with the world!  Has been for awhile, with great sites like Sweden.se.  This year the Swedish Institute has launched a new podcast called Swedishness.

Here is a little information about the podcast:

Together with co-host Philip O’Connor, an Irish journalist who has lived in Sweden for 18 years, Kattis Ahlström interviews Swedish and non-Swedish experts. The podcast is in English and will be released in seven episodes about everything from parental leave and digital technology to Swedish tradition, Swedes and happiness.

In this first episode, Philip and Kattis tackle parental leave in Sweden.

In Sweden, parents of a newborn are given 480 days of leave to split between them to look after their child. Most of the days are paid up to 80 per cent of the parent’s salary and can be taken until the child turns eight. Paid by the state, the system encourages both parents to take time off to spend time with their child. What is it like to have all that time with your child, and what is it like to get back to work after so many months away? Soundcloud

What do you think, Swedish Freaks, about this episode and the new podcast in general?