Long maternity leave a challenge to Iloilo bizmen, says executive

ILOILO City – How should businesses cope with the new law expanding the maternity leave of working women?

There are ways businesses can address this challenge, said Iloilo Business Club (IBC) executive director Lea Lara.

Employers may train their staff to multitask in the absence of colleagues taking the maternity leave, said Lara.

Other businesses that have the wherewithal may hire temporarily workers until the employees who have taken the maternity leave have returned, she added.

“Training employees to become versatile or multi-tasker is thus important. During the hiring process, businesses must make sure they are taking in highly trainable people who can easily adjust to new assignments,” stressed Lara.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11210, or the Expanded Maternity Leave Act, last week.

Working women now have 105 days of maternity leave with full pay and the option to extend this for another 30 days without pay.

Solo mothers will also have an additional 15-day leave.

Lara said the law’s impact would mainly be on the productivity of employees and the operation most especially of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Previously, working mothers were entitled to 60 days of paid leave credits for normal deliveries and 78 days for Caesarean deliveries.

“MSMEs mas mabatyagan gid nila. Ang workload ihati sa mga nabilin. Dako sya nga challenge sa operation,” said Lara.

The Department of Labor and Employment, the government agency tasked to enforce the new law, may do well to help businesses cope with the new law, said the business executive, but she did not give specifics.

The Expanded Maternity Leave Act applies to “every instance of pregnancy, removing the four-pregnancy cap”, and covers all “female workers regardless of civil status.”

In case of a miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy, a 60-day paid maternity leave shall be granted to a female worker.

Maternity benefits shall also be granted to female workers in the informal economy, provided they have remitted to the Social Security System at least three monthly contributions in a 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of their childbirth, miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy.

The Department of Health (DOH) Region 6 lauded the expanded maternity leave as it would provide more quality time between the mother and her infant.

“We really appreciate the government in passing the law. Now, a mother is given more time to breastfeed her young and ensure her infant’s health, hygiene, and the like,” said Dr. Marlyn Convocar, director.

Convocar said the new law will benefit working mothers who find it difficult to pump breast milk and report to work at the same time.

Breast milk, if taken by the infant during the first few months, will ensure that he or she can fight off viruses and bacteria and other diseases as he or she grows, said Convocar./PN

1 COMMENT

  1. But 105 days isonly the maximum. The employer on maternity leave has also the option to come back early since the paid leave is only a percentage of the regular pay. We have up to one year parental leave and is divisible between parents same or opposite (also for adoption) and the issue of whose going to do the job of those on parental leave is never an issue. And by the way the employer also is not burdened by the wages and salaries of the employees on maternity leave but paid by the employment Insurance fund from contributions of employer/employer/Govt..

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