The Paper Journalist Peng Yanqiu
"As a married woman of childbearing age who wants to change jobs and end up in another place, I am very worried about the impact of this policy on my job change." Ms. Sun, who works in an institution in Shanghai, told The Paper.
The policy she referred to is the recent intensive promulgation of policies to extend maternity leave in many places. Some provinces and cities have extended maternity leave from 30 days to 60 days, and some provinces have extended maternity leave by 60 days or even 90 days.
However, Ms. Zhang, who now has a child working in a state-owned enterprise in Shanghai, told The Paper that she did not have any worries when she heard such news. Relationship, our self-confidence comes from our work experience and ability, why do women prove to the society that they can be trusted by having fewer children."
Judging from the maternity encouragement policies in various regions, there are generally three methods: extending maternity leave, maternity leave, parental leave for both spouses, etc., payment of maternity allowances or subsidies, and the cost of insuring female employees for having three children included in the scope of maternity insurance benefits.
Mapping of prolonged childbirth-related holidays in some areas
Dong Dengxin, director of the Institute of Financial Securities at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, told The Paper that the fertility policy is a systematic project. From pregnancy to preschool education, there should be government support throughout the process, which requires a lot of financial investment.
He pointed out that to encourage childbirth or increase the overall fertility rate, the most important thing is to provide supporting services throughout the entire stage of the child’s pre-school education.
Policies should keep up. From pregnancy to childbirth to postpartum leave and lactation, especially the child’s admission to nursery and nursery, there must be a complete, supporting, and seamless policy.
If such a network cannot be constructed, this effect may be greatly reduced.
How does the extension of maternity leave and maternity leave affect female employment?
Will the extension of maternity leave and maternity leave affect women's employment?
Ren Yuan, a professor at the Population Research Institute of Fudan University, told The Paper that the recent policies are very positive and beneficial for reducing the pressure on family fertility and strengthening fertility services and support.
However, the extension of maternity leave may also have some negative effects. For example, the extension of maternity leave will increase the cost of enterprises and weaken the competitiveness of women in the job market.
"Maternity insurance can effectively reduce the cost of childbirth for female employees. However, the company may not only consider the cost of maternity allowance. The interruption of labor caused by female childbirth and breastfeeding also constitutes the cost of enterprise development. All kinds of maternity-related holidays lack enthusiasm." Ren Yuan also reminded that maternity leave was originally a policy to protect the family and women, and to avoid harming women's development in the implementation.
Wang Xuebo, an associate professor at the School of Economics of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, told The Paper that the original intention of the policy of extending maternity leave was good. Women giving birth to children have contributed to society and the country, and they should be given a better rest.
But if companies are allowed to bear the full cost of the increase in fertility, it may have unintended consequences in the long run.
“Fundamentally speaking, the goal of enterprises is to pursue profit. Under the market competition mechanism of survival of the fittest, enterprises are facing tremendous pressure to survive. They have no incentives and motivation to bear these costs.” Wang Xuebo said. Many studies have found that enterprises in the labor market Discrimination exists against female labor, and many companies are more willing to choose male labor when recruiting.
If women are in a disadvantaged position in the labor market itself, the extended maternity leave policy will worsen their situation in the labor market.
Wang Xuebo believes that female childbirth is a family behavior, and the family and the country are the direct beneficiaries. It is reasonable for both the individual and the country to bear some, and let the enterprise try to bear less.
Feng Shuaizhang, dean of the School of Economics and the Institute of Economics and Social Studies of Jinan University, told The Paper that there is no need to worry too much. This policy is generally a good policy.
"Women are in a dilemma. Now that aging is serious and the fertility rate is low, it is necessary to increase the fertility rate. On the other hand, the population will immediately enter an inflection point and face a shortage of labor force. I am afraid that it will not work for women to withdraw from the labor market. Then our policy must be creative. Conditions make it unnecessary for women to choose one or the other. The future policy goal is to create such an environment, and maternity leave is part of it."
"If it is determined in the form of law, it will be the same for every company, so that the negative impact on women's employment will be reduced, because everyone has formed such habits and expectations, and it becomes a matter of course." Feng Shuaizhang believes that at present The holiday length of the policy is still more appropriate.
At the same time, Feng Shuizhang believes that such a policy will affect different targets in different degrees.
For groups with low levels of education, the employment impact is relatively large. Therefore, it is necessary to increase human capital. By receiving higher education, having higher skills, and reducing the impact, this is the same for men.
Human capital is a factor that cannot be ignored.
How to reduce the adverse effects of maternity leave?
Ren Yuan suggested that the main issue of the various maternity leave, parental leave, and spouse’s paternity leave as a supporting policy for childbirth, the main issue is not whether to have these holidays, but to consider how these policies are implemented so as to minimize the damage to the enterprise. , Has the least adverse effect on women.
For example, some qualified positions can be encouraged to implement a flexible employment system, and mothers of infants and young children can be allowed to work online for a period of time. This can also ensure women’s participation in the labor market and help companies maintain normal business operations. The impact will be minimal.
Ren Yuan said that since various fertility-related supporting policies involve the interests and needs of different subjects, the formulation and implementation of policies need to listen to the public's opinions, which will help to do good things and introduce multi-party win-win policies.
Feng Shuizhang suggested that on the basis of the current policy, we can consider increasing the maternity-related leave for men. On the one hand, discrimination against women will be reduced. On the other hand, men will assume more family responsibilities and enjoy more parent-child interactions. Both growth and family harmony are good. "Women need to work and take care of the family. There is a lot of pressure. If men can participate, it will be good for the family and the society."
Will more holidays affect economic growth?
Feng Shuizhang believes that to look at this issue dynamically, we still have to start from the perspective of human capital. "This involves the high-quality development that the country is currently promoting, and the transformation of the growth mode. Driven by human capital, driven by efficiency, rather than driven by time. , Family happiness, work efficiency will be higher."
"Our work needs the backing of a happy family, and the support and respect of the company. But if only one company does this, the pressure will be greater, so the government is required to provide such guidance. Now the government has introduced such a policy, it is precisely Play such a role." said.