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The Government will publish in the Gazette this Friday (February 28) the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2014. The Bill seeks to make three days' paid paternity leave (PL) a statutory benefit for working fathers under the Employment Ordinance (EO)(Cap. 57).
"The proposed Bill, which would facilitate working fathers to take care of the newborn and the mother around the time of childbirth, is based on the consensus of the Labour Advisory Board," said a spokesperson for the Labour Department.
The spokesperson added that the Government had taken into account various factors including the interests of employees and affordability of employers, as well as the prevailing practice of the private sector, in granting PL and in formulating the proposal, to ensure that a reasonable balance is struck between the interests of both parties.
"To be eligible for PL, the father of a newborn or a father-to-be must be employed under a continuous contract and have given advance notice to his employer of his intention to take PL. If he has served a minimum of 40 weeks and submitted the required documentary proof to his employer, he will also be entitled to PL pay. As both PL and maternity leave emanate from the same cause, the relevant requirements and details of the proposed PL mirror in general the arrangements applicable to maternity leave under the EO."
The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on March 26.
Ends/Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:03
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