Active-duty military officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) would be eligible for three days of mental health leave per year as soon as the end of this year, the Ministry of National Defense said in proposed amendments to the Leave Regulations for the Military’s Commissioned and Non-commissioned Officers (國軍軍官士官請假規則), Chinese-language media reported yesterday.
The ministry on July 11 posted its proposed changes to the regulations, with the text open to public comment until Monday next week.
Superior officers are prohibited from refusing a request for mental health leave, the proposed amendments say.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA
The ministry said that the changes are intended to create a more supportive environment for officers and NCOs, enabling them to maintain a healthy and resilient mental state.
Superior officers should seek ways to promote and support mental wellness for officers and NCOs under their command, and should encourage them to focus on mental well-being by providing facilities and resources to alleviate stress, it said.
The measures would enable officers and NCOs to focus their attention on combat training duties, it added.
The proposal says that special leave would be dependent on their service in the prior year.
With the three added days, officers and NCOs would be entitled to 10 days of special paid leave, up from seven, it says.
The wording in Article 7 of the regulations would be updated to reflect Article 8 of the Enforcement Rules for Act of Gender Equality in Employment (別平等工作法施行細則).
Moreover, the wording of articles 17 and 19 of the leave regulations would be updated to change references to “labor leave” to “maternity leave” or “paternity leave to accompany spouse for medical checkups.”
The proposed changes are expected to be implemented at the same time as the Ministry of Civil Service implements its three-day mental well-being leave policy this year.
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