A flexible parental leave trial is to begin today at 64 private enterprises and government agencies to encourage more Taiwanese to start families, the Ministry of Labor said yesterday.
Under the pilot program, participating employers must allow workers parental leave in a maximum of three blocks of five to seven days, the ministry said in guidelines for the program.
Notices for the launch have been given to the participants, which volunteered to be part of the program, it said, adding that it is expected to conclude at the end of this year.
Photo courtesy of the Childcare Policy Alliance
Participating organizations can increase the flexibility of their leave policies, including permitting employees to take single days of leave any number of times, it said.
Businesses and agencies can optionally require employees to submit written notice at least five days before taking parental leave, the ministry said, adding that shorter notice periods are allowed.
Employers are exempt from employee social security payments for the duration of the trial program and participation counts toward receiving labor-friendly designation, which qualifies corporations for government perks, it said.
Eight government agencies and 56 private enterprises volunteered for the trial, Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment Director Huang Wei-chen (黃維琛) said, adding that others that want to join must apply before the end of this month.
Separately yesterday, a coalition of labor and parent groups called for childcare and parental leave reform to bolster female workforce participation and population growth.
Multiple studies conducted in South Korea indicate that better work conditions and family life for married women are key for higher birthrates, Childcare Policy Alliance spokeswoman Huang Chiao-ling (黃喬鈴) told a news conference in Taipei ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday.
Former German chancellor Angela Merkel’s reforms in public childcare and parental leave were crucial to that country’s successful bid to get out of its demographic and labor supply doldrums, alliance convenor Liu Yu-shiu (劉毓秀) said.
National Educator and Teacher Union president Chen Hui-ching (陳惠菁) said that 70 percent of the nation’s childcare industry is privatized and the government must create more public care providers for policy changes to be meaningful.
Taiwan Labor Front deputy secretary-general Yang Hsu-wei (楊書瑋) said that international labor rights conventions stipulate that family responsibilities should not be a reason for people to quit their jobs.
Parental leave policies and homecare resources should be provided to working families if the nation is to increase female participation in the workforce, Yang added.
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