Female Deputy Proposes Longer Home Leave for Only Children

A female official recently submitted a proposal during the annual session of the National People's Congress (), the top legislature, to give longer annual leave to adults who have no siblings, so they can spend more time with their parents.

Huang Xihua is an NPC deputy and Deputy Secretary-general of the Huizhou Municipal Government, in .

Hard to Satisfy Need for Family Affection

China fully adopted the one child family planning policy in the 1970s. In March 1981, the 17th Plenary Session of the 5th National People's Congress approved the Regulations on Home Leave for Workers and Staff Issued by the State Council. This permitted married, non-local children to enjoy 20 days holiday to accompany their parents every four years.

However, the statement did not take into account since there were few of them back then.

With the universal two-child policy implemented in 2016, parents who have only one child have grown older and many have no children around them to fulfill long-distance filial duties.

Huang thinks once-every-four-years home leave is too infrequent and does not satisfy the need for domestic affection.

"In fact, increased home leave would spur consumption in the service sector and bring more job opportunities. People who spend time with their family members are not lazy or averse to work. We have to change such mindsets," said Huang.

Innovate Home Leave Scheme 

"Employees cannot work contentedly if their parents get ill, thus the introduction of nursing leave is definitely beneficial from the perspective of the system design. But it still remains to be seen whether the policy can be put in place," said Huang.

In addition, she also recommends that the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security should innovate the home leave scheme and allow longer paid leave for people to visit their parents.

Except for relevant policies of holidays and leave, officials should include 20 days of paid holiday for only children who are married but don not live with their parents, and are in work for more than one year.

(Source: Women Voice/ Translated and edited by )