Hunan province in China extends maternity leave

Hunan province in China is now offering women an extension of their maternity leave in hopes of averting a population crisis.

Under the new provincial policy, working mothers who have used up their maternity leave can now apply to their employers for an extension of more days up until the child is one year old, reports South China Morning Post. 

The employer and worker will have to negotiate the salary awarded during the leave period.

This was done in line with efforts to implement China’s national three-child policy “to promote the long-term balanced development of the population”, the provincial government said. 

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There were 473,000 births in Hunan in 2021, the lowest number since 1962, official data showed.  In April, the province added 60 days of maternity leave to the mandatory 98 days. Fathers can also take 20 days off for “nursing care leave” after their wives give birth.

Under the policy, working parents are also allowed to take a total of 10 days for a “parenting break” each year until their children turn three.