Taiwan's flexible parental leave pilot program receives a cold reception: Only 24 companies have applied, with complicated procedures and staffing issues being the main reasons.

Taiwan • Politics • 05/07 23:02
Taiwan's flexible parental leave pilot program receives a cold reception: Only 24 companies have applied, with complicated procedures and staffing issues being the main reasons.

The Ministry of Labor has been piloting the "Flexible Unpaid Parental Leave" system since May 9, 2023, allowing leave to be taken on a day-by-day basis to help parents cope with unexpected childcare needs. By the end of the year, 89 companies participated, but only 24 actually applied for leave, resulting in a total of 212 leave instances, with an average leave duration of less than three days. Companies reported that the application process is cumbersome and that making staffing adjustments is challenging, which affects their willingness to use the system. The Ministry of Labor is collecting feedback and considering a redesign of the system.

Key Updates

18h ago

Premier Cho Jung-tai of the Executive Yuan firmly supports energy transition and calls on the Legislative Yuan to allocate NT$100 billion to Taipower to stabilize electricity prices.

On May 9, 2025, Premier Cho Jung-tai reiterated in an exclusive interview that the government's second energy transition policy is correct. He emphasized the allocation of NT$100 billion to Taiwan Power Company to offset losses and stabilize electricity rates, thereby preventing industries from facing pressure due to electricity rates and tariffs. Taiwan Power Company promised not to raise electricity rates this year if the allocation is granted. With the decommissioning of the No. 2 unit at the Third Nuclear Power Plant, Taiwan has entered a nuclear-free era, drawing attention to energy policies. Cho Jung-tai urged the Legislative Yuan to support the allocation proposal, emphasizing the importance of advancing green energy development alongside maintaining power stability.

05/09 11:04

President of Taiwan, William Lai, is promoting the integration of smart medical care and health tech, with the goal of creating a trillion-dollar biomedical industry.

On May 9, 2025, President Lai Ching-te announced at the "2025 Biotechnology Strategy Annual Conference" that the government will promote the biomedical industry to become Taiwan's "national treasure" through smart healthcare and health technology, incorporating it into the core policy blueprint. President Lai emphasized the importance of cross-sector integration, regulatory easing, and technology application, and expressed gratitude for the support of the National Biotechnology and Medical Industry Promotion Association. On the same day, he attended the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, noting that the different ways countries commemorate the day reflect the diversity of historical interpretations.

05/08 23:02

Taiwan's Long-term Care 3.0 Initiative Set to Begin in 2026: Tackling Workforce Shortages and Gaps in Assessing Patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare plans to implement the "Long-term Care 3.0" policy in 2026 to address manpower shortages with measures like tiered task allocation, improving salaries, and introducing assistive devices and smart technology. The new policy will expand services to cover early-onset dementia and stroke patients and encourage middle-aged and older adults to get involved. However, there are calls for system integration due to inconsistent eligibility criteria for osteogenesis imperfecta patients between the disability assessment system and the long-term care assessment system.

05/07 23:02

Taiwan's flexible parental leave pilot program receives a cold reception: Only 24 companies have applied, with complicated procedures and staffing issues being the main reasons.

The Ministry of Labor has been piloting the "Flexible Unpaid Parental Leave" system since May 9, 2023, allowing leave to be taken on a day-by-day basis to help parents cope with unexpected childcare needs. By the end of the year, 89 companies participated, but only 24 actually applied for leave, resulting in a total of 212 leave instances, with an average leave duration of less than three days. Companies reported that the application process is cumbersome and that making staffing adjustments is challenging, which affects their willingness to use the system. The Ministry of Labor is collecting feedback and considering a redesign of the system.

05/07 13:02

The Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party's proposal to remove the budget for Taipower's subsidies has ignited a political battle: The Democratic Progressive Party is concerned about rising electricity prices, while the Taiwan People's Party criticizes the energy policy for its mistakes.

The Executive Yuan proposed a special bill amounting to 410 billion NT dollars, and the Kuomintang and the Taiwan People's Party proposed to remove the 100 billion NT dollar allocation for Taipower, sparking a debate between the ruling and opposition parties. The Democratic Progressive Party criticized this move, claiming it would lead to an increase in electricity prices, affecting small and medium-sized enterprises and the general economy, and accused the opposition of broadly distributing cash, which does not contribute to industrial transformation. The Taiwan People's Party countered, arguing that the pressure on electricity prices is due to flawed energy policies, and advocated for reforms in nuclear and green energy policies to resolve Taipower's deficit problems.

05/07 09:03

William Lai proposed five major policies ahead of Mother's Day: focusing on childcare, youth development, and developing the nursing workforce.

President William Lai proposed five major policies at the Democratic Progressive Party's Central Executive Committee meeting on May 7, focusing on family care, youth development, and the medical workforce. The policies include strengthening social investment, promoting parental leave and subsidies, enhancing childcare services, passing the draft of the "Youth Basic Law," and initiating an NT$275 billion nursing workforce plan, along with advocating for the legal establishment of nurse-to-patient ratios. These measures aim to meet the needs of modern families, support the next generation, and strengthen the care system.

05/06 11:06

The cabinet of Cho Jung-tai is under pressure for a reshuffle—the heads of five ministries may be replaced; the formation of a combat cabinet is imminent.

Premier Cho Jung-tai's cabinet is facing pressure for a reshuffle, with rumors suggesting the government will transform into a "war cabinet" to address the nationwide recall election and legislative by-elections. Five ministers, including Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Chih-hui, have been named as possible candidates for replacement. The Executive Yuan clarified that the reshuffle rumors are false, but public pressure continues to rise. The "Apple Poll" is open for voting to gauge public satisfaction with governance and opinions on the potential reshuffle. The poll is open until 3 PM on May 9.

05/05 11:30

The Executive Yuan denies rumors of a cabinet reshuffle under Lai Ching-te, stating it is focused on addressing international challenges.

Media reports suggest that Taiwan's Vice President Lai Ching-te might conduct a cabinet reorganization after May 20, involving several heads of ministries, which has drawn attention. Cabinet spokesperson Li Hui-chih dismissed this rumor on May 5, calling it misinformation and emphasizing that there are no plans for such a reorganization. The Cabinet is currently focused on addressing the impact of U.S. tariffs and international developments on Taiwan, and is promoting a special act on economic, social, and national security resilience to stabilize the situation.

05/05 03:06

The Mayor of Taipei, Chiang Wan-an, Leads in Online Presence: Calls on the Government to Address High Tariffs from the US and Internal Challenges

In April 2025, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an had the highest online visibility among county and city leaders in Taiwan and became a political focal point due to his shift from a moderate to a more hardline stance. He openly criticized the Democratic Progressive Party in the city council and urged the government to tackle the high tariffs imposed by the United States and domestic challenges, and called for an end to political infighting. Chiang Wan-an emphasized that his words and actions reflect the opinions of the grassroots and expressed support for Kuomintang legislators facing recall efforts, and urged the central government to focus on livelihood issues.

05/04 13:01

Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu reaffirmed the economic slogan at the labor appreciation event, highlighting the crucial role of labor in Taiwan's economy.

On May 4, 2025, President of the Legislative Yuan Han Kuo-yu attended the National Labor Union Federation's "2025 Model Worker Commendation Conference" in Taipei, emphasizing the reliance of Taiwan's economy on the hard work of its labor force and urging the government to focus on the labor needs of small and medium-sized enterprises as well as traditional industries. He reiterated the economic slogan, "Goods must be exported, and people must be welcomed," and highlighted the pressure U.S. tariffs place on Taiwan's small and medium-sized enterprises, urging the government to offer more support to tackle international trade challenges.

Pilot Overview: Many Participating Companies, Few Actual Applications

In mid-2023, the Ministry of Labor launched a pilot program for "Flexible Parental Leave," allowing workers to take leave on a "daily" basis to provide parents with more flexible childcare support. The pilot included 89 companies of various types. However, according to the Ministry of Labor's statistics, only 24 companies actually applied, with a total of 212 uses, averaging less than three days of leave per person.

This usage rate is far below expectations, raising doubts about the policy's effectiveness. Huang Wei-chen, Director of the Department of Labor Conditions and Equal Pay, pointed out that some companies did not have employees applying because the company itself already offered fully paid care leave better than the legal requirements, so employees did not need to apply for flexible parental leave.

Complicated Application Process as the Biggest Obstacle

Most pilot companies reported that the current application process for flexible parental leave is similar to that of unpaid parental leave, requiring data submission to the Labor Insurance Bureau, which is cumbersome and creates an administrative burden for both companies and employees. Wang Zhao-qing, convener of the Childcare and Employment Policy Alliance, noted that the unfriendly design of the application system is one of the main reasons for the low usage rate. He suggested that the government should invest resources to simplify the system process, making leave applications more intuitive and convenient.

Wang Zhao-qing stated, "By investing in system design to simplify the application process, I believe it can increase the willingness to use it." He emphasized that the current system's complexity becomes a hindrance for parents needing to take leave on short notice.

Frequent Need for Temporary Care, Insufficient System Flexibility

According to feedback collected by the Ministry of Labor, employees often take leave due to unexpected situations such as babysitters taking leave or enterovirus outbreaks causing daycare closures. These needs are often unpredictable, and the current system of unpaid parental leave taken on a monthly basis is difficult to address them.

For example, a parent representative, Zhang Li-huan, shared that her grandchildren attended a public childcare center in New Taipei City, which was closed for almost the entire month of September 2024. The family's vacation days were all used for childcare, and they eventually had to give up the public childcare center, with the mother taking parental leave to care for the children at home. She strongly supports flexible parental leave on a "daily" basis, believing it can truly help parents cope with unexpected situations.

Employers Concerned About Workforce Management, Hope for Advance Notice Mechanism

In addition to application process issues, companies' concerns about workforce management are also a major obstacle. Some participating companies reported that frequent use of flexible parental leave by employees would put pressure on scheduling and business operations. Some companies suggested that the system should include an advance notice mechanism, requiring employees to inform in advance of their leave needs to facilitate workforce arrangements.

Wang Zhao-qing expressed understanding of this and suggested that if the system is fully implemented in the future, it could consider limiting the total number of leave days per employee to balance flexibility and business operation needs. He noted, "If expanded to a daily basis, the total number of days could be limited, making it more acceptable to employers."

Frequent Enterovirus Closures, Urgent Parental Needs

In 2024, childcare centers in the six major cities faced severe closures due to enterovirus outbreaks. According to statistics from the Childcare and Employment Policy Alliance, public childcare centers in Kaohsiung City were closed for an average of 25 days, Taipei City for 19.9 days, and Taoyuan City for 17 days. Even though some counties and cities plan to relax closure regulations starting in 2025, according to the latest standardized contracts for childcare centers, if a child's health is poor, the childcare center can still require parents to take them home for care.

These unexpected situations have made the need for short-term, flexible leave systems increasingly urgent for parents. Yang Shu-wei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Taiwan Labor Front, pointed out that young workers aged 25 to 34 have an average of only 8.2 days of vacation, which is insufficient to meet frequent care needs. He urged the government to institutionalize care responsibilities, allowing workers to continue working rather than being forced to resign.

Ministry of Labor Response: Collecting Opinions, Redesigning the Plan

In response to external criticism and suggestions, the Ministry of Labor stated that it is currently gathering feedback from all sectors and rethinking the direction of system design. The Ministry emphasized that the original intention of promoting the flexible parental leave system is to help employees balance work and family care and will continue to communicate with stakeholders to seek social consensus.

The Ministry of Labor also pointed out that the Act of Gender Equality in Employment already provides several family care measures, including parental leave without pay, family care leave, and reduced or adjusted working hours. In the future, it will further optimize the flexible parental leave system based on this foundation, balancing labor needs and business operations.

References

People Also Ask...

faq

Has the Ministry of Labor thought about how to simplify the application process for flexible parental leave to encourage more companies to get involved?

faq

How can the Labor Department improve the flexible parental leave application process to make it easier for parents?

faq

What is the Ministry of Labor's plan to simplify the application process for flexible childcare leave to make it more appealing for businesses to participate?