SCMP grants employees 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and doubles entitlement for new fathers

Company becomes first local media outlet in Hong Kong to adopt new government initiative, announced in Carrie Lam’s second policy address

New fathers to get leave entitlement increased to 10 days

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SCMP staff who have been on a continuous contract for not less than 40 weeks will be entitled to 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave with immediate effect. Photo: Roy Issa

Published: 4:15pm, 19 Oct 2018Updated: 11:30pm, 19 Oct 2018

The South China Morning Post is giving its employees four more weeks of maternity leave – on full pay – while also doubling the entitlement for new fathers, becoming the first local media outlet in Hong Kong to follow a new government initiative first announced last week.

The decision, disclosed to staff during an internal meeting on Friday, followed Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s announcement in her second policy address that statutory maternity leave in the city would be extended from 10 weeks to 14.

“The SCMP applauds Lam’s proposition in the latest policy address to extend maternity leave to 14 weeks, which aligns Hong Kong with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recommendation and other countries in the region,” a statement, issued by the company on Friday, read.

“The company is pleased to join other prominent companies in Hong Kong in supporting this important policy change that will benefit women and families and also make Hong Kong a more competitive labour market in the region.”

With immediate effect, staff who have been on a continuous contract for not less than 40 weeks will be entitled to 14 weeks of fully paid maternity leave. It is an enhancement to the previous maternity leave entitlement of 10 weeks on full pay.

The new measures rolled out by the Post were more generous than the government proposals. Photo: Roy Issa

The company also announced it would extend paternity leave from five to 10 days – also on full pay – to allow new parents more time to adapt to changes in their lives.