MATERNITY

RESIDENCE PERMIT IN CASE OF PREGNANCY

If you are pregnant or gave birth less than six months ago, you cannot be expelled if you do not have a residence permit.
Also, your husband cannot be expelled during the same period if you live together. You can also ask the Questura for a residence permit for family reasons. When you make your application, you will need to give your personal details, your address, and your reason for being in the country. You will also need to produce a medical certificate indicating the fact that you are pregnant, and the presumed date of birth.

PROTECTION OF MATERNITY AT THE WORKPLACE

Compulsory leave from work
If you are pregnant, you have the duty-right to take leave from work two months before and three months after the expected date of childbirth. If your pregnancy is at risk, and you carry out fatiguing or unhealthy work, or if you work in an environment that is potentially harmful to your health and to that of the unborn child, and you cannot be assigned other tasks, you can submit a special application to the Direzione Provinciale del Lavoro – Servizio Ispezione del Lavoro (the work inspection service of the Provincial employment office) which is to be found in each provincial capital, in order to obtain authorisation to be absent from your workplace prior to and/or during the compulsory leave period provided for by the law

How to ask for the service
You need to make a special application on the form provided by the office.

Documents you need to present
Medical certificate of pregnancy, which must indicate the following:
your personal details;
details of your employer and workplace, together with a description of your work, and the A.S.L. in your area;
the month of pregnancy on the date of the medical exam;
medical certificate released by a gynaecologist, in two copies, certifying the existence of severe complications in the pregnancy, the prognosis prescribed and the expected date of birth.
For mothers who work as substitute staff, a service certificate is required.


After you make your application, if all the conditions are met, you will be issued within a short time (on average three days) a ruling that will let you leave your work, subject to an exam by an A.S.L. doctor responsible for checking employees on leave.

In 1996 the Servizio S.O.S. Donna (an emergency service for women) was set up by the Dipartimento della Solidarietà Sociale (the social solidarity department) which assists all women going through the difficult period of unwanted maternity.

The Service’s activities:
The Service offers a freephone number that can be called from anywhere in the province:
800231310

The number can be called every day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (an answering machine can be used at other times), to obtain advice and information and guidance (meetings can also be arranged at the Turin headquarters in Corso Giovanni Lanza no. 75) on the possibility of giving birth in complete anonymity, and on the various legal possibilities and existing social and health services.

The operator acts as a go-between for the woman and the Service’s technical experts (psychologist, gynaecologist, social worker, caregiver) or between the woman and the local services.