Taiwan's birth rate has been in the doldrums, and according to the Ministry of the Interior, the birth rate in 2020 will be just 0.83%, one of the lowest in the world. This means that every 1,000 women will give birth to an average of 8.3 children, far below the 2.1 children needed to maintain population turnover. The phenomenon of childlessness not only affects the country's economic development and social welfare, but also brings tremendous pressure and hardship to many new parents.
Many new parents are very protective and cherished by their children and want to do their best to grow up with their babies and give them the best care and education. However, the reality of financial problems makes it impossible for them to quit their jobs and give up their sources of income to focus on taking care of their newborns. However, working long hours does not allow them to spend time with their children, and they face the dilemma of working and raising children. According to the Ministry of Labor, in 2020, about 37,000 parents, about 80% of whom are women, will leave the workplace to raise their children. These parents will not only lose their job opportunities and sources of income, but may also face discrimination in the workplace and difficulties in re-employment.
Xiao Wen is a 30-year-old new father and his wife Xiao Mei is a 28-year-old new mom. Their baby, Xiaoga, was born recently and is the apple of their eye. Xiao Wen and Xiao Mei are both office workers. Their incomes are not high, but they are able to maintain a basic standard of living. They originally planned to take a month's maternity and paternity leave after the birth of their baby, and then return to work. They thought they could take care of both their family and their careers, and would not tire themselves or each other too much.
But what they didn't realize is that taking care of a newborn is a very hard job. The baby needs 24-hour uninterrupted care, feeding, changing diapers, putting to sleep, playing, bathing ...... each of which takes a lot of time and energy. Xiaowen and Xiaomei often can't sleep well because of the baby's crying, and they have to go to work during the day, which makes them feel very tired and stressed. They didn't have the time or money to hire a nanny or send the baby to daycare. They began to feel that they couldn't manage both work and parenting, and sometimes even lost their temper with the baby or each other.
When they felt helpless and lost, they met the social workers of Sunyu Academy. Sunyu Academy is an online integrated social welfare platform that provides various types of social welfare information. Social workers visit newborn families on a regular basis to understand their difficulties and needs, and provide them with appropriate assistance and advice. The social worker found that Xiao Wen and Xiao Mei both love their babies very much, but are also troubled by the balance between their work and parenting. The social worker introduced to them the "Baby Care and Leave Without Pay Allowance" benefit and encouraged them to consider applying for it.
To address both financial and parenting issues, the Department of Labor has introduced the Baby Care and Stay-at-Work Suspension Allowance to encourage parents to take a break from work after the birth of a child to enjoy the time with their baby while protecting their labor rights and income levels.
i. elements and period of application
1. After 6 months of employment and before each child reaches 2 years of age.
2. The maximum period cannot exceed 2 years.
3. If you have two or more children under the age of two at the same time, the periods will be combined, with the longest period being two years for the youngest child.
Eligibility
The insured person may be eligible to apply for the Maternity Leave Without Pay Allowance if the insured person meets the following criteria:
1. Employment insurance experience totaling at least 1 year.
2. Before the child reaches the age of 3.
(3) In accordance with the Gender Equality Act, the childcare service will be suspended without pay.
Number of applications
The July 1, 110 relaxation of the application period can be less than 2 months (no less than 30 days) for 2 times.
If you have two children under the age of 3, the number of applications will be combined, and the youngest child will be counted up to two times. Of course, there is no limit to the number of times an application can be made if the application period is more than 6 months, but it still has to fulfill the relevant requirements and period.
IV. Mode of application
1. In writing: Employees (workers) should apply in writing to their employers 10 days in advance, and prepare the "Application for Stop Pay Allowance and Renewal of Insurance Coverage for Infant and Child Care Retainers" and related supporting documents to the offices of the Bureau of Labor Insurance (BLI) of the Ministry of Labor (MOL) at any place in the world to apply for the insurance coverage.
2、Online："Online application for childcare leave without pay allowance" is provided. Insured persons can log in to the e-service system of the Bureau of Labor Insurance's website with their natural person's ID card/"Individual Online Application and Enquiry" and select "Application" / "Application for Childcare Leave Without Payment Allowance" to begin the application process.
(Online application website for Non-payroll Allowance for Babysitting: https: //edesk.bli.gov.tw/me/#/home)
(Workers' Compensation Insurance Board office contact information: https: //www.bli.gov.tw/0009139.html)
V. Benefit standards and benefit periods
1、Benefit standard
60% of the insured person's average monthly insured salary for the previous 6 months from the month in which the insured person's maternity leave is suspended without pay.
The insured person will receive a monthly allowance, up to a maximum of 6 months for each child, while the insured person's baby is on leave without pay.
If both parents are insured persons and meet the eligibility criteria, they can apply for 6 months of subsidy each, up to a maximum of 12 months in total for the same child with separate parents.
2. Starting from July 1, 110, 20% increase in the "Infant care leave without pay subsidy".
The Ministry of Labor provides a 20% subsidy to insured persons who apply for the allowance for childcare without pay in accordance with the Employment Insurance Law, and there is no need to apply for the subsidy separately. In other words, you can receive up to 80% of the allowance.
3. Benefit Period
l Payable monthly at the beginning of the period from the date of leave without pay to the date of expiry.
l If the insured person resumes work early, up to 1 day before resumption of work.
l A person who leaves the service midway will be counted up to the date of leaving the service.
l For less than 1 month, 1 month will be counted (this refers to the last installment of the allowance).
Since January 18, 2022, when the Employment Insurance Law came into effect, parents can apply for both the childcare leave without pay and the allowance, which encourages parents to devote themselves to taking care of their children and enjoying the good time with their babies by giving financial support to the workers. At the same time, the Ministry of Labor has increased the subsidy by 20% of the salary, so that parents are more willing to apply for leave without pay. This benefit protects their labor rights and income level, which is a very meaningful and necessary measure for Taiwan society, which is facing the problem of childlessness and the dilemma of balancing work and childcare.
Source:
Department of Labor, Bureau of Workers' Compensation Insurance
