China regions rethink support for workers with older parents as population ages

At least 13 regional authorities have already extended parental care leave entitlements, with Zhejiang the latest to consider the move

The entitlement was introduced to help people from millions of one-child families but could roll out to employees who have siblings

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At least 300 million people in China are estimated to be looking after elderly parents with no siblings to help them. Photo: EPA

Published: 1:39pm, 26 Feb 2024Updated: 2:31pm, 26 Feb 2024

Zhejiang province in eastern China has become the latest region to consider extending statutory parental care leave – currently restricted to employees from one-child families – for workers with siblings, to help them care for their ageing parents.

At least 300 million people in China are estimated to be coping alone with the pressures looking after parents over the age of 60 as a result of the one-child policy established in 1980, but the country’s rapidly ageing population is prompting a rethink.

The Zhejiang health commission said on Wednesday that it would give active consideration to a resident’s online suggestion to extend the leave entitlement when revising its population and family planning regulations.

Zhejiang residents are entitled to five days of parental nursing leave each year if they are from a one-child family with parents aged over 60.

The health authority said it would also encourage employers to grant parental nursing leave days to employees who were not from one-child families when their elderly parents were sick or hospitalised.

The authority said it was responding to a resident’s suggestion left on the local government’s feedback website in January, which said Zhejiang should not distinguish between families based on the number of children when providing parental care leave.