Infant Care Allowance: 80% of salary and 2 days added to maternity leave effective July 1, 2021

Good news for mothers! Starting from July 1, 2021, infant care allowance will be 80% of salary and 2 additional days will be added to their maternity leave.

To promote increase in birth rates, the new system of infant care leave will start in July. In addition to increasing childbirth check-ups to 14 times, and additional 2 days of maternity leave, infant care leave allowance has also been increased from 60% to 80% of salary. Infant care leave must be applied with the employer 10 days in advance. "Taiwan Immigrants Global News Network" (新住 民 全 球 新聞 網) compiled the labor related new system policies starting in July for their readers.

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Infant care allowance is 80% of salary, and maternity leave is 2 days longer. Picture/Retrieved from Pexels Gallery 

1. Infant Care Leave Subsidy

The Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) pointed out that to implement “Let the country raise your child together with you” (讓國家跟你一起養) policy, and to increase the economic support to workers during this period of unpaid leave, 20% of the average monthly insured salary will be added to the official budget and the salary subsidy during the period of unpaid infant care leave will be added. This is to increase the average monthly insured salary replacement rate during the unpaid period. This means, the infant care leave allowance will be increased from July 1st, from the original 60% salary to 80%, of which 60% will be paid by the employment insurance fund, the 20% paid by the government. On June 4, 2021, the MOL announced the "Key Points of Infant Care Leave Without Pay Salary Subsidy”  and will be implemented on July 1.

2. Maternity Leave Salary Subsidy

For the people to “give birth with peace of mind” (安心生), the number of maternity check-ups has been increased from 10 to 14, and the number of statutory paid maternity check-up leave for gender and work equality has been increased from 5 to 7 days, with the 6^th and the 7^th day also paid. Employers may apply for the subsidies with the central authorities. On June 4, 2021, the MOL issued the "Main Points of Maternity Check-ups Leave Salary Subsidy" (產檢假薪資補助要點) and implemented it on July 1, 2021.

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3. Changes in the application procedures for the labor pension plan new system

The MOL stated that in order to make it more convenient for people to apply for labor insurance pensions, starting from July 1, workers or their designated beneficiaries, who live abroad, and cannot return to Taiwan to claim their new system labor pension (annual insurance pension), the applicant can prepare a power of attorney and attach the Taiwan embassy or representative office, or other agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the identification certificate issued by the country where the overseas Chinese resides. If the power of attorney and identification documents are in English, a Chinese translation may be required unless the Bureau of Labor Insurance (勞工保險局) considers it not necessary.

4. Amendments to the Trade Union Law article 17

The MOL pointed out that starting from July 1st, the labor union should place at least one alternate director and an alternate supervisor to avoid having only one union supervisor, which will affect the operation of the union. In the event of a vacancy, there is no need to convene temporary members or member representative meetings to elect supervisors.  This is to reduce the burden on the labor union and to improve its administrative efficiency.