The government announced yesterday that it will extend the implementation of its ongoing scheme subsidising eligible employers’ payments for14 days of maternity leave for one more year.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon and Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) Director Chan Un Tong made the announcement during a press conference at Government Headquarters yesterday. Cheong is also the spokesman for the government’s top advisory Executive Council.
The subsidy scheme was initially to cover female employees giving birth on or before December 31 this year. After the extension for another 12 months, which was announced yesterday, the scheme will now cover employees giving birth on or before December 31 next year.
Cheong said yesterday that the government’s decision to extend the implementation of the subsidy scheme for one more year was part of the government’s ongoing policy of encouraging childbirth, also aiming to continue fostering harmonious labour relations.
Macau’s number of days for statutory paid maternity leave in the private sector was raised to 70 days from the previous 56 days on May 26, 2020 when the amended version of the Labour Relations Law took effect.
The Labour Relations Law regulates the private sector’s employment. The public sector has its own employment regulations that are much more generous than those of its private counterpart.
With the aim of helping employers gradually adapt to the increased number of days for statutory paid maternity leave, a three-year transition period commenced when the law’s amended version took effect, during which the respective employers could apply to the government for a subsidy of up to 14 days of maternity leave so that they were only required to pay at least 56 days of leave out of the 70 days, while the remaining up to 14 days were paid by the government.
The three-year transition period covered employees giving birth between May 26, 2020 (when the Labour Relations Law’s amended version took effect) and May 25, 2023.
After the three-year transition period ended in May 2023, the government reviewed the subsidy’s implementation with the aim of determining whether to continue it, after which the government announced in June last year that it had decided to launch the maternity-leave subsidy again.
In October last year, the government announced the launch of a new round of the 14-day maternity subsidy, which is being implemented.
The ongoing round of the subsidy, which was launched in October last year, continues to be a provisional one, retroactively covering employees giving birth between May 26, 2023 and December 31, 2025, i.e., covering a period lasting about two years and seven months.
After the extension which was announced yesterday, the subsidy scheme will now cover employees giving birth on or before December 31, 2026.
Under the scheme, eligible employers must pay mothers the whole 70-day maternity period first before filing an application to the Labour Affairs Bureau to receive a subsidy of 14 days of maternity leave.
The respective employers are required to submit their applications within 150 days of the mother giving birth.
The subsidy only applies to local female employees, because of which the employer of a mother who is a non-resident worker (NRW) still needs to pay the whole 70-day maternity period.
Certain groups of employers are ineligible to receive the 14-day maternity subsidy, namely publicly-funded companies, gaming and junket operators, kindergartens, schools, and higher education institutions, as well as all companies employing over 100 staff each.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon (right) and Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) Director Chan Un Tong look on during yesterday’s Executive Council press conference at Government Headquarters. – Photo: Tony Wong
