Newsletter No. 458

458 • 19.5.2015 3 A fter years of debate, a law granting employees paternity leave has finally been passed and written into the Employment Ordinance. From 27 February, new dads employed by private firms are able to claim three days’ leave on four-fifths of their usual pay. This policy represents a breakthrough for Hong Kong’s employment regulations. However, it doesn’t bring much change to people working at CUHK. Since as early as 2008, male staff of the University have been entitled to five days of paternity leave on full pay under a family-friendly leave policy, whereas Hong Kong’s civil service introduced the same only in 2012. What is more enviable is that in addition to paternity leave, the family-friendly leave policy introduced seven years ago also consists of adoption and bereavement leaves. They are extra benefits provided by the University, exceeding statutory requirement, to help employees manage their family responsibilities, and cope with changing circumstances and needs at different stages of life. For better compliance with the statutory provision, CUHK has taken the opportunity to review its three types of family-friendly leaves and adjust their regulations. Paternity Leave: Five Days To be eligible for the five-day leave on full pay, new fathers need to have completed 40 weeks’ full-time continuous service at the University before taking time off. That amounts to about 10 months, over two months shorter than the previous one-year service requirement. Under the old regulations, the leave only applies to childbirth given by the male employee’s legal spouse. It has now been revised to any individual whose name is entered as the new-born’s father in the birth certificate. The leave is also applicable to births outside Hong Kong. It allows fathers to take the leave at any time from four weeks before the expected birth date to 10 weeks after the baby’s arrival. Leave may be taken in one go or on separate days on a half-day basis. The father has to inform his supervisor three months in advance that he will be taking time off, and submit his leave applications once the days are confirmed to facilitate staffing arrangement. According to the Personnel Office, there were 90 and 60 male full-time appointees who had new family members born in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Adoption Leave: Three Days As with paternity leave, the service requirement of adoption leave has been reduced to 40 weeks of full-time continuous employment. The adopted child should be under 12 years of age, and will be living together with the appointee in Hong Kong. Applicants should give their supervisors notice of their intention to take adoption leave one month ahead, and submit supporting documents and leave applications as early as practicable. The three-day leave can be taken consecutively or separately, within three months from the adoption date. The leave may be taken on a half-day basis. Bereavement Leave: Two Days Under the new regulations, bereavement leave is available without any required minimum length of service to all full- time staff who have lost a close relative, that is, spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, or parent-in-law. The two-day leave on full pay can be taken separately, with a per-application minimum of half a day. Information on the updated leave policy is available on the online Staff Handbook at www.per.cuhk.edu.hk . 男 士侍產假在港討論多時，終於今年寫入《僱傭條例》， 從2月27日起，私人公司的新任爸爸有三天支薪五分之 四的法定侍產假，陪伴妻子分娩，迎接小生命誕生。這是香港 就業法例一大突破，但也許這喜訊對中大職員而言不會引起太 大感覺，因為早在2008年，中大的男職員已可享五天的全薪侍 產假，相同福利在政府公務員體系也要到2012年才施行。 更讓其他打工一族羨慕的是，中大七年前推出的「家庭友善假 期」除侍產假外，還包括領養假和喪親假，是大學在法定要求 以外，向員工提供的額外福利，以方便職員照顧家人，應對人生 不同階段的轉變和需要，在履行工作與家庭的責任上，取得平 衡。 因應《僱傭條例》的修訂，中大也優化了三種「家庭友善假期」 的實施細則。 侍產假：五日 子女出生，爸爸怎樣才可放五日全薪侍產假？首先要於支取侍 產假之前連續全職受僱四十週，即大約十個月，比修訂前要求 的一年服務期減少逾兩個月限制。 舊安排下，侍產假適用於「合法配偶懷孕」情況，現按新法例修 訂，只須出示僱員是嬰兒父親的出生證明。若嬰兒在香港以外 出生，僱員同樣受惠。 新任爸爸可於預產期的「前四」至確實出生日期的「後十」 週內任擇日子，自選一次過或分期支取五日侍產假，每次最 少半天。準爸爸要在預產期前三個月向上司表明打算放假， 並在確定日子後盡早遞交正式的假期申請，為工作調配作好 安排。 據人事處統計，2013和2014年分別約有九十和六十位全職中大 爸爸迎來家庭新成員的降臨。 領養假：三日 和侍產假一樣，連續受僱滿四十週的全職職員可申請領養假， 領養兒童的年齡需為十二歲以下，並將與有關僱員於香港同 住。 申請領養假的僱員要提早一個月向上司表明意向，並及早提供 證明文件，遞交正式申請。三天的有薪領養假可於領養日起的 三個月內分期或連續支取，每次最少半天。 喪親假：兩日 新安排下，喪親假的服務年期限制完全取消，不論入職長短，痛 失近親的全職僱員均可申請，而近親指的是配偶、父母、子女、 兄弟姊妹或配偶之父母。 兩天的有薪喪親假可以分期支取，每次最少半天。 想了解更多修訂後的家庭友善假期規例，請瀏覽人事處網頁 （ www.per.cuhk.edu.hk ） 內的僱員手冊。 ‘When a colleague needs to take family-friendly leaves, it is also time for his/her team to show support. We encourage open communication and mutual understanding among colleagues. It contributes to a harmonious, positive work environment. Team members who can manage work and family responsibilities effectively tend to become more productive and committed at the workplace.’ 「同事需要支取家庭友善假期時，亦是工作團隊 互相表示關懷體諒的機會。我們鼓勵同事多些溝 通，因應需要，互相支持，為工作團隊締造和諧正 向的工作環境。團隊成員受惠於此，得以妥善兼 顧工作與家庭，工作效率自然高，對工作也會更用 心、更投入。」 人事處處長 利順琼女士 Ms. Lee Shun-king Corinna, Director of Personnel Photo by ISO staff —Staff Benefits You May Not Have Heard Of Family-friendly Leaves —可能是存而未聞的員工福利 家庭友善假期