Parents should be able to take leave by the day or by the hour to take care of their children, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said yesterday, as he and other lawmakers reintroduced a bill to instate more flexible parental leave.
Taiwan’s birthrate has reached a new low, meaning the labor shortage would continue to worsen, Childcare Policy Alliance convener Liu Yu-shiu (劉毓秀) told a news conference in Taipei.
However, 49 percent of working-age women are not in the workforce, as many stay at home to take care of children, she said.
Photo: CNA
The alliance in 2022 proposed an amendment to create a new kind of parental leave, which must now be reintroduced to the legislature as it has begun a new session.
Single women work at a higher rate than their male counterparts, but workforce participation drops off after they get married, Hung said, adding that women also find it difficult to return to work after spending time away.
Parental leave is very inflexible, forcing many caregivers out of the workforce anyway, he said.
Current rules under the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法) provide for parental leave of up to two years, which must be taken before a child is three years old. Each parent can apply twice for parental leave, for a minimum period of 30 days.
Hung said he and his colleagues have reintroduced the bill, and called on government agencies to take it seriously.
The bill drafted by the alliance has four main elements: parents would be able to use parental leave until their child is eight years old; parents could apply for leave by the day or by the hour; parental leave and unpaid maternity or paternity leave should be considered together, with subsidies offered for six months; and parental leave should be scheduled 10 days in advance, with an option to apply the day before in emergencies.
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
RSS