The Childcare Policy Alliance today called for flexible leave policies and better paternity leave, rather than only extending maternity leave to 12 weeks as proposed.
Draft amendments to the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法) proposed by several legislators would extend required maternity leave the current eight weeks to 12 weeks.
The alliance in a news conference today called on the government to prioritize shared leave for men and women, including both mandatory and flexible options with government subsidies, so that couples can share childcare responsibilities.
Photo: Huang Yi-ching, Taipei Times
An online survey conducted by the alliance found that 66.5 percent among 504 respondents believed that extended maternity leave could lead to more severe discrimination in the workplace against women.
Ninety percent of respondents approved of a childcare policy similar to Spain, which has a joint policy for maternal and paternal leave, of which 57.9 percent “strongly agreed,” while 33.3 percent “agreed.”
Spain allows an uninterrupted resting period of 16 weeks for both parents following childbirth, although just six weeks are mandatory, Childcare Policy Alliance spokesman Wang Chao-ching (王兆慶) said.
The following 10 weeks can be used flexibly, including part-time, before the child turns one, either consecutively or non-consecutively, he said.
Although extended maternity leave would allow new mothers more rest, it may actually push women out of the workforce and extend the period in which they parent alone, Taiwan Labor Front deputy secretary-general Yang Hsu-wei (楊書瑋) said.
Moreover, salaries during maternity leave are paid by the employer, which could lead to worse employment opportunities for women, he said.
According to the International Labour Organization, maternity leave should be at least 14 weeks, but countries such as Spain, Japan and Denmark offer both mandatory and flexible leave, Wang said.
The current system in Taiwan is mandatory, confining women to the home and failing to encourage male participation in childcare, he said.
Taiwan needs to adopt a dual system to support families with two working parents who share childcare responsibilities and to protect women’s employment rights, he added.
The current draft amendments also overlook the low rate of paternity leave uptake, Awakening Foundation policy department director Lee Ying-hsueh (李盈學) said.
Under the current legislation, women receive seven days of prenatal check-up leave and 56 days of mandatory maternity leave for a total of 63 days, while fathers receive just five days to accompany their partner to check-ups and the birth, with no mandatory paternity leave, she said.
Lee recommended a flexible paternity leave policy to protect the childcare industry, while introducing financial subsidies to motivate more men to take paternity leave.
Encouraging men to participate in childcare through policies and supportive measures would help to eliminate gender stereotypes and allow women to work with peace of mind, Alliance of Educare Trade Unions supervisor Chen Liang-yin (陳亮吟) added.
The Childcare Policy Alliance recommended that the government introduce four weeks of mandatory paid leave for partners, to be taken within three months of the child’s birth, while dividing maternity leave into a mandatory recovery period followed by a flexible care period.
It further suggested that the government share the cost of any additional maternity or paternity pay, rather than leaving the financial burden to employers.
Additional reporting by CNA
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