Current location:Stellar Storyline news portal > opinions
Push for more parental care leave gathers pace
Stellar Storyline news portal2024-05-07 21:11:08【opinions】0People have gathered around
IntroductionBy Wang Xiaoyu (China Daily) 15:56, March 13, 2024Zhang Da found his parents were less involved in f
Zhang Da found his parents were less involved in familial and social gatherings and talked slowly when he returned home from Xi'an, Shaanxi province, to spend the Spring Festival holiday with them in mid-January.
"It just hit me that my parents were getting old, and I felt a stronger sense of responsibility and an intense feeling that I needed to accompany them more often," the 28-year-old said. "My father also fell sick last year and now needs me to take care of him."
However, like a number of regions in China, Shaanxi only grants paid parental care leave to employees from one-child families. "I have siblings so my employer would not easily allow me to take time off work," he said.
The dilemma confronting Zhang is starting to receive increasing attention from authorities as China strives to meet the demand for senior care in a rapidly aging society.
China had about 297 million people aged 60 and older — 21.1 percent of its population — by the end of last year. The elderly population is forecast to reach 400 million, and exceed 30 percent of the total, by around 2035, according to official estimates.
In response to a netizen's online suggestion, the health commission in Zhejiang province said late last month that when it revises local population and family planning regulations it will consider extending parental care leave to workers who are not the only child in their families.
The online suggestion said that being filial to parents and accompanying them is a basic moral principle and policies should not differ on the basis of the number of children in a family.
The provincial health commission acknowledged the necessity of expanding eligibility for such leave.
"We also encourage employers to offer care leave for workers whose elderly parents are hospitalized or cannot live by themselves due to illness," it said.
In reply to a similar online request, the civil affairs bureau in Beijing said in late January that setting up parental care leave is imperative.
"With the deepening aging trend in the city, elderly care has become a difficult problem for all and should be emphasized and dealt with proactively," it said.
"Granting parental care leave is one active measure to tackle the aging trend. Currently, there is no national law or regulation related to it but we see it as an imperative task based on practical demands."
Nationwide, several regions allow paid parental leave for workers with siblings.
In Tianjin, people from a one-child family are entitled to 20 days of paid parental care leave a year and those who are not an only child are given 10 days.
The province of Guizhou grants seven days' paid leave for employees with siblings, compared with 15 days for those who are the sole child.
One concern of local authorities is that such leave has an impact on labor costs.
Health authorities in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region said previously that the establishment of any paid leave should take into consideration the rights of workers and the labor costs of employers.
Feng Wenmeng, a researcher with the Development Research Center of the State Council, told People's Daily that honors could be bestowed on businesses that provide parental care leave.
Local governments could also consider giving tax deductions to employers who implement parental care leave, he said.
Address of this article:http://samoa.mybodyonelife.com/html-03e799952.html
Very good!(62128)
Related articles
- Trump faces jail threat over gag order as prosecutors zero in on transactions at heart of the case
- Art reshapes rural scene in SW China village
- Ethnic performance nourishes soul, life in southwest China
- China breathes digital life into historical heritage like Great Wall
- Nigerian journalist's arrest last week triggers criticism of worsening press freedoms
- Chinese judoka Guo collects bronze on opening day of Hangzhou Asiad
- Holistic pursuit of national security lays solid groundwork for China's rejuvenation cause
- Int'l plum blossom festival kicks off in Nanjing
- REVEALED: The jaw
- Germany's Scholz calls for fair competition and warns against dumping during China visit
Popular articles
Recommended
I tried Hollywood's hottest fitness class loved by Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Obama
Highlights of beach volleyball match at 19th Asian Games
Hapoel Tel Aviv, Hapoel Jerusalem reach Tel Aviv Winner Tournament final
Art reshapes rural scene in SW China village
WNBA expansion franchise Golden State hires Ohemaa Nyanin as its general manager
A's rally from 5 runs down, beat Nats 7
China releases typical cases endangering national security
Highlights of beach volleyball match at 19th Asian Games
Links
- Ruud defeats Tsitsipas to win Barcelona Open
- Liverpool's title hopes fade further with West Ham draw
- Authorities name driver fatally shot by deputies in Memphis after he sped toward them
- Antiques Roadshow guest shocked by astonishing value of medieval stone head she found in her DRAIN
- Blue economy roundtable held in China's Hainan
- Fallacies and facts about China's overcapacity
- Jude Bellingham scores late to seal El Clasico win
- China's Ma, Sun crowned at ITTF World Cup
- Leverkusen salvage Dortmund draw to stay unbeaten
- Suzhou museum unveils rare masterpiece