Gov’t to push for shorter working hours for moms
The government will push for a law that will allow mothers to have reduced working hours after their maternity leave to give them more time to take care of their newborn and still work to earn money.
The potential amendment to the Maternity Leave Law is one of several proposed legislations under the “Trabaho Para Sa Bayan Plan” or TPB. The 10-year master plan of the government will tackle job creation, labor market transformation and inclusive workforce development.
There are 10 proposed legislations under the TPB, one of them focused on working mothers who just completed maternity leave. There are also eight pending bills in Congress supported by the TPB.
“This proposed amendment aims to incorporate provisions for reduced working hours post-maternity leave, with flexible options to return to full-time work as circumstances allow,” according to the TPB, a complete copy of which was released on Monday.
All-gender parental leave
Apart from reduced working hours, the proposed amendments will also include “parental leave” for all genders to “promote shared caregiving responsibilities.”
The last change to the law happened in 2019, when former President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Expanded Maternity Leave Act that provided longer maternity leave to all working mothers.
The law grants 105 days of paid maternity leave, regardless of the type of childbirth, with the option to extend for 30 days without pay. Solo mothers also get an additional 15 days of leave.
