Longer leaves an incentive for mothers having 3rd child

Guangdong province in South China has started to award an additional 80-day leaves to the mothers who give birth to their third child starting this week, a notice issued by the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the husbands will also be allowed extra 15 days off to accompany their wives who deliver their third child, said the notice which was published in the official website of the commission on Tuesday.

With the additional incentive, mothers now can take about 178 days of maternity leave when they give birth to a third child. Those who suffer from difficult labor will be allowed to have extra 30 days more.

Currently, a mother can have 98 days vacation leave when she delivers a child in the province which now has a population of more than 115 million.

The notice urges those who want to give birth to their third child to register in local health departments and neighborhood committees, bringing their hukou (household registration), identity cards, and marriage certificates.

Meanwhile, local employers are urged to introduce effective measures to ensure the couples enjoy their leaves and related benefits as they prepare for the healthy delivery of their third child, it said.