Hong Kong to allow civil servants annual family-care leave from next year
Hong Kong authorities say civil servants will be able to apply for 10 to 12 hours of family-care leave each year from next year. The Civil Service Secretary, Ingrid Yeung, said approvals would be handled leniently, with the leave intended for matters including hospital visits and parent-teacher meetings.
Hong Kong authorities will take a lenient approach to applications for a new family-care leave scheme for civil servants, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan said, according to the South China Morning Post. The scheme, announced in the government’s annual policy address last week, is due to begin next year. It will give civil servants between 10 and 12 hours of family-care leave annually.
The leave is intended to allow staff to leave work temporarily to deal with personal family matters. Examples cited in the report include accompanying relatives to hospital and attending parent-teacher meetings. Yeung made the comments while speaking to a Legislative Council session.
Her pledge indicates that officials will not apply the approval process rigidly when assessing eligible requests. The supplied material does not specify whether the entitlement will vary according to an employee’s circumstances, how applications must be made or what evidence may be required. It also does not give a precise start date beyond saying the scheme will begin next year.
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