性別平等就業法三讀通過，產假、育嬰假及流產假全面延長

The Legislative Yuan passed the amendment to the Gender Equality in Employment Act in its third reading today (13), extending maternity leave for female employees from the current 8 weeks to 14 weeks, and increasing paternity leave for prenatal checkups and accompanying childbirth from 7 days to 14 days. The applicable age for parental leave without pay has been relaxed to before the child reaches 9 years old, and a new childcare leave has been added. For those who suffer a miscarriage after 3 months of pregnancy, 4 weeks of paid miscarriage leave will be granted, 2 weeks for those between 2 and 3 months, and 10 days for those under 2 months. The ruling and opposition parties originally had disagreements over the number of days for maternity and prenatal checkup leave. The Executive Yuan originally proposed 12 weeks of maternity leave plus 10 days of prenatal checkup leave, while the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party advocated for 14 weeks of maternity leave, and a consensus was finally reached through negotiation. The Ministry of Labor will study corporate incentives and related care measures to expand friendly childcare workplace protections. This amendment is expected to take effect on January 1 next year, aiming to provide more comprehensive childcare support. Points of divergence in reports • China Times emphasized that the maximum duration for parental leave without pay remains 2 years, and it can be included in the calculation of the parental leave period. • United Daily News reported in detail on the process of Legislative Speaker Han Kuo Yu striking the gavel to finalize the decision. • China Times mentioned that employers can apply for subsidies from the central government after paying wages for extended maternity leave. • United Daily News recorded the explanation by Labor Minister Hung Shen Han regarding the calculation of maternity leave days, as well as the rebuttal by Kuomintang Legislator Chen Ching Hui. Uncertainties • The specific content of corporate incentives, paid leave, and related care measures is still to be studied by the Ministry of Labor. • The actual extent of the impact of this amendment on enterprises still needs to be observed. Background • The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China, responsible for enacting laws. [background knowledge] • The Gender Equality in Employment Act aims to promote gender equality in the workplace and protect the rights and interests of employees. [background knowledge] • Systems such as maternity leave, parental leave, and paternity leave aim to balance work and family needs and provide childcare support. [Fact Refinery, 2024-01-13] • The original Gender Equality in Employment Act stipulated maternity leave as 8 weeks. [Fact Refinery, 2024-01-13] Our interpretation Our understanding is that this amendment represents the legislative body's emphasis on childcare support and an attempt to achieve a balance through negotiations between the opinions of labor and employers. Although the total length of parental leave without pay has not changed, measures such as extending maternity leave, parental leave, and adding miscarriage leave are clearly aimed at providing more comprehensive childcare protection and reducing the burden on women in the workplace. The focus on details in the reports, such as maternity leave wage subsidies and the Labor Minister's explanation, also shows the complexity of the amendment details and the importance of subsequent implementation. Points of interest • The specific content of corporate incentives and related care measures being studied by the Ministry of Labor is expected to be announced before the amendment takes effect. [Ministry of Labor official website] • The reaction of enterprises to measures such as extended maternity and parental leave, as well as the actual implementation situation, will become apparent for a period of time after the amendment takes effect. [Commercial Times, Economic Daily News] • After the amendment takes effect on January 1 next year, the number and trend of related leave applications can serve as indicators to evaluate the effectiveness of the amendment. [Ministry of Labor statistical data]

性別平等就業法三讀通過，產假、育嬰假及流產假全面延長

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