Hello everybody,

I need help with clarification about length of work experience and maternity leave and leave during the pregnancy (I had a problem and was in hospital). I will explain my situation to be clearer.

In June I will be turning up 10 years of work experience during which I had a to take a sick leave in total of 6,5 months prior to the maternity leave on account of problems during pregnancy (May 2011- November 2011). After that I was on paid maternity leave in duration of 11 months (November 2011-October 2012). During both of that period I was not paid by my employer, but national health insurance agency (that is the policy in Croatia).
So in total of this soon to be 10 years of work experience I have been on maternity and sick leave for 17 months, but it was paid and not by employer. I left this employer one month after I returned to work.
My employer reference is not showing that I was on leave, or better to say my employer reference shows that I was employed and working during the whole time (June 2009-October 2012).

Does anybody know whether this can be counted towards work experience? Can I in June claim 10 years of experience (for EOI) or 8,5?

Regards, Beatrix