Govt staff to get 12 hours of family care leave
Government employees will be able to leave work for a few hours at a time to look after family, under a new leave arrangement of up to 12 hours a year expected to start in January. Staff can use it to take a relative to a medical appointment, care for someone who is ill, attend a child's school activity, or deal with a sudden matter at home. In a paper submitted to a Legislative Council panel,…
Government staff will soon be able to take short breaks of up to 12 hours annually for family matters, according to an upcoming leave arrangement set to begin in January. The new policy allows staff to step away for various reasons such as medical appointments, caring for the ill, attending school events, or handling unexpected home issues. Approved block durations can range from one to four hours, although unused hours cannot be saved for future use.
The proposal, submitted to a Legislative Council panel, requires staff to submit a brief form detailing the reason for the leave, with no need for supporting documents in most cases. In urgent situations, a verbal approval can be given before completing the formal paperwork afterward. However, if there are concerns about potential abuse, approving officers may request proof of the leave's necessity.
This new scheme adds to the existing family-related leave options for government employees, which now include marriage leave, compassionate leave, and parental leave. The Civil Service Bureau is currently finalizing the specifics and plans to consult with staff representatives before implementation. Since April 2024, over 7,500 marriage-leave applications and 23,000 compassionate-leave applications have been approved.
Additionally, about 15,600 parental-leave requests have been granted since the parental leave scheme commenced in April of the previous year.
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