Source: CCTV
Recently, many places across the country announced the revision of family planning regulations, increased maternity benefits, and extended maternity leave. How many days off can I take now? Take a look at the national multi-property holiday list below!
Source: Workers Daily
In the table, we can see that maternity leave for women in many places has increased to 158 days, and for most spouses, paternity leave is 15 days. Maternity leave for women in Jiangxi and Qinghai reached 188 days.
In addition, some provinces have extended maternity leave for the birth of two or three children. On November 15, the 32nd session of the Standing Committee of the 13th Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress voted and passed the Decision on Amending the Regulations on Population and Family Planning of Zhejiang Province. It is clear that for couples who have children in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations, the woman shall extend the maternity leave by 60 days for one child and 90 days for the second and third children on the basis of enjoying the maternity leave stipulated by the state. That is to say, female employees can take 158 days off for one child, and 188 days for the second child and the third child.
Many places stipulate that before the child reaches the age of three, the husband and wife can enjoy 5 or 10 days of parental leave per year. Parental leave in Chongqing can be taken for up to one year. On November 15, Chongqing's newly revised Population and Family Planning Regulations directly raised the measurement unit of parental leave from "days" to "years" – with the approval of the unit, one spouse can take parental leave until the child is one year old, or both husband and wife can take a total of 5 to 10 days of parental leave each year before the child is six years old.
Why is maternity leave not as long everywhere?
We can see from the table that maternity leave everywhere is made up of maternity leave and maternity leave.
Maternity leave is regulated by the State. Article 7 of the Special Provisions on the Labor Protection of Female Employees promulgated by the State Council in 2012 stipulates that female employees shall enjoy 98 days of maternity leave, of which 15 days of maternity leave may be taken before childbirth; in the case of difficult childbirth, the maternity leave shall be increased by 15 days; and for each additional baby born, the maternity leave shall be increased by 15 days. Female employees who have a miscarriage within 4 months of pregnancy shall enjoy 15 days of maternity leave, and those who have miscarried after 4 months of pregnancy shall enjoy 42 days of maternity leave.
Source: Chinese Government Legal Information Network
In addition, local maternity leave is also provided for in places on the basis of maternity leave prescribed by the State. Recently, the family planning regulations adjusted in many places across the country are mainly to adjust the birth leave, and most provinces have extended the birth leave from the past 30 days to 60 days.
In fact, there is no difference between maternity leave and maternity leave, and the "maternity leave" in the usual sense we are talking about now refers to the number of days that both maternity leave and maternity leave are added. The length of maternity leave varies from place to place, and as a result, the length of maternity leave varies. In principle, maternity leave and maternity leave should be taken continuously, and there should be no interruption in between.
Taking Shanghai as an example, on November 15, the 37th session of the Standing Committee of the 15th Shanghai Municipal People's Congress deliberated and voted to adopt the "Decision on Amending the Shanghai Municipal Population and Family Planning Regulations", which stipulates that the maternity leave will be extended from 30 days to 60 days, and female employees will enjoy 98 days of maternity leave, and the situation of difficult childbirth will be appropriately extended. This also means that the maternity leave of female employees in Shanghai is combined with the maternity leave, and there can be 158 days of leave during the childbirth period.
Maternity leave without delay in paying wages?
The wages of female employees on maternity leave are maternity benefits provided by the Maternity Insurance Fund. Article 8 of the Special Provisions on the Labor Protection of Female Employees stipulates that the maternity allowance for female employees during maternity leave shall be paid by the maternity insurance fund in accordance with the standard of the average monthly wage of the employees of the employer in the previous year.
The average wage of an employee is generally different from the original wage standard of the child. Where the maternity allowance is higher than the employer's original salary standard, the employer shall not deduct it; if the maternity allowance is lower than the original wage standard, the employer shall make up the difference. Maternity allowance is not subject to personal income tax.
For those who do not participate in maternity insurance, the employer shall pay according to the standard of the female employee's pre-maternity leave wages.
Source: Official website of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China
There are also many female employees who are worried that breastfeeding will occupy some working hours, will they be deducted wages? Recently, the National Health Commission and other 15 departments jointly issued the "Breastfeeding Promotion Action Plan (2021-2025)". The plan requires that the rights and interests of lactating female employees be protected, and employers should reasonably arrange the breastfeeding time of lactating female employees.
For female employees who breastfeed infants under the age of 1, the employer shall arrange 1 hour of breastfeeding time for them during the working hours of each day; if the female employee gives birth to multiple births, the breastfeeding time shall be increased by 1 hour per day for each additional infant, and the breastfeeding time shall be regarded as providing normal labor. Employers may not reduce the wages and benefits of female employees due to breastfeeding, dismiss them or terminate their labor (employment) contracts.
Extended maternity leave makes it harder for women to find employment?
Maternity leave has been greatly extended, parental leave has been added, and wages have been paid, and such a maternity package looks perfect at first glance. Are women in the workplace more confident and can have a baby with confidence and boldness?
However, the truth is not so ideal.
From the perspective of enterprises, the paid leave of women's ultra-long standby version has increased the employment costs of enterprises. Are all companies willing to go under the covers? Is there the ability to go under the covers? The cost of extending maternity leave is borne by enterprises, which is obviously unrealistic. It is easy to cause enterprises to deliberately avoid women of childbearing age when employing and recruiting, which is also the reason why the implementation of paid leave has not been effective for many years. Only when the government finance effectively shares a part of the cost of childbirth, in addition to reducing taxes and fees, and compensates the employment costs of enterprises, enterprises can be willing to cooperate with the implementation of this policy.
From the perspective of women of childbearing age, the extension of maternity leave is not entirely a good thing. During the maternity leave of up to 5 months or even 6 months, other employees will replace the birther, and after the end of the leave, will they still be in their original job? Long periods of time off cause derailment from work, can promotion still be achieved?
Zhejiang's New Deal clearly states that taking maternity leave does not affect promotion, salary adjustment, and calculation of working age. But in fact, can companies do exactly what they want? This is something that is difficult for anyone to guarantee. In the draft of the "Hunan Provincial Population and Family Planning Regulations (Draft Amendment)", in the column "Basis and Reasons for Amendment", it is mentioned that excessive holidays may affect women's employment, which is not conducive to the protection and development of women's rights and interests in the long run. In an era when the pace of modern life and work is getting faster and faster, the difficulties caused by a woman of childbearing age being separated from society for a long time are real.
Some netizens suggested that the paternity leave for men should also be greatly extended to reduce the differential impact of maternity leave on male and female employees.
But there are also concerns that this will lead to joint workplace discrimination for couples with birth plans, or that performance and promotion will be affected no smaller, resulting in greater financial pressure on families and fewer families willing to have children.
What are the worries about giving birth to a baby?
The cost of money and time to educate children is also the main consideration for everyone to have a baby.
Source: Zhongxin Video
Regardless of the length of maternity leave and parental leave, there is a day off, and there are still childcare problems in the subsequent stages. At present, in China, childcare services for 0 to 3 years old are mainly borne by families themselves, and there is still a large gap in socialized and market-oriented childcare.
A recent paper published in the journal Society revealed that childcare services with a "de-family" nature have a significant positive impact on european family fertility decisions, while cash subsidies with a "family"nature have not had the desired effect. Obviously, the government has increased its financial investment in childcare services and formed a multi-level, multi-channel and diversified childcare service co-construction model, which is a better entry point to solve this problem.
Wu Ruijun, dean of the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of East China Normal University, said: "We hope to build a 'fertility-friendly' society, not just a family thing, nor a problem of an enterprise, fundamentally to encourage more families to have children in accordance with the policy, it is a social system engineering, which requires the joint efforts of all parties in society." ”
In the big picture, adjust the existing housing structure, improve inclusive childcare, and eliminate educational anxiety. From a small perspective, the setting of the commuting time of nursing mothers is more flexible, and the addition of more humane nursing rooms in various places such as units requires joint consideration by all parties.
Despite these concerns, there are still many people who want to have children. Some people think that children are the continuation of life, some people think that children are the crystallization of their own love with their partners, and some people simply want a little angel who is connected with their own blood.
It is hoped that all parties in society can jointly overcome obstacles and build a "fertility-friendly society" so that more families can "dare" to have babies.