Landmark reform to make HK firms family friendly

The statutory maternity leave in Hong Kong will be extended from 10 to 14 weeks, announced the city’s top leader, Carrie Lam in her annual policy address last week.

The landmark move will finally put the city on par with minimum standards laid down by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The initiative was the most lauded in an array of pro-family measures unveiled by Lam. Other proposed policy changes include a bid to promote breastfeeding and childcare services for working parents.

Extended paid maternity leave has been implemented among civil servants with immediate effect, ahead of the policy’s target date of 2022. Six public bodies studied the feasibility of extending the leave just one day after Lam’s address.

The government will be fully responsible for the cost incurred by the extra four weeks of maternity leave, with a cap placed at HK$36,822 per employee. By law, working mothers are paid 80% of their wages while on maternity leave.

Employees who earn more than HK$50,000 a month will thus not get the full 80%. However, the government stated that it only accounted for about 5% of employees in Hong Kong.

A government source said it would cost HK$479million a year to subsidise employers.

In addition, Lam said the administration will require developers to provide baby care facilities and lactation rooms. She also pledged to offer more childcare services for working parents.

The number of day care centres for children younger than two years old has dropped from 1,530 in 1995 to just 747.

“Hong Kong is severely lacking in terms of childcare options for working parents. 30% of women drop out of the workforce due to caring responsibilities,” said Fiona Nott, CEO at The Women’s Foundation.

The South China Morning Post reported that several NGOs have called for “more concrete details” on the provision of childcare centres as Lam’s remained vague regarding the issue in her address.