Taiwanese Council of Labour Affairs (CLA) has amended the law to allow employees to take 7 days’ family-care leave and paid family-care leave.
Taiwanese public servants have been entitled to 5 days leave per year since 2002 but workers of private organizations were not entitled to such a welfare benefit. During a storm season – when local district administrative organization normally declares extra holidays for students – workers often had difficulty taking care of their children. Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, therefore, instructed the CLA to consider amending laws to allow workers to take family-care leave.
On 13 October, the CLA passed draft amendment to the gender equality law. The amended law stated that a worker who has children under the age of 12 years or whose children go to primary school can take a family-care leave during a natural-disaster crisis or when an extra public holiday is announced only for school. He will also be entitled to paid family-care leave.
Chen Huiling, director of the department of labour standards under the CLA, said the amendment is aimed to help employees share responsibility in raising the child while holding down their job.
According to the director, second paragraph is added to section 20 of the gender equality law, stating that working parents with children under the age of 12 are allowed to take paid leave when school are closed, but offices remain open due to typhoons or other natural phenomena.
The CLA said the family-care leave is included in an annual leave. Workers are allowed to take up to 14 days’ leave per year; if they use up all their family-care leave, they will still be entitled to their annual leave.
