{
  "id": 9521966,
  "title": "Gov’t considers 12 hours’ annual family care leave for civil servants to boost fertility",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/govt-considers-12-hours-annual-family-care-leave-for-civil-servants",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T08:06:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press-hongkongfp",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/24/govt-considers-12-hours-annual-family-care-leave-for-civil-servants-to-boost-fertility/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong's civil service minister has announced that civil servants will receive up to 12 hours of family care leave annually, starting next year. This new policy is part of a range of measures aimed at promoting fertility and fostering family-friendly workplaces. The proposed leave can be used for various situations, such as taking an elderly parent to a medical appointment, caring for a sick child, or helping a family member recover from surgery or a serious illness.\n\nSecretary for the Civil Service, Ingrid Yeung, explained that the leave is intended to allow civil servants to take brief absences from their duties, such as addressing a school suspension or a household emergency. For medical appointments that may last most of the day, Yeung suggested that civil servants could use their existing annual leave or childcare leave. Yeung expressed confidence that the application process for family care leave would be straightforward and that she believes most civil servants will not misuse the arrangement.\n\nHowever, some netizens have expressed concerns that 10 to 12 hours of leave may not be sufficient to adequately care for relatives. Others have criticized the government for focusing only on benefits for civil servants and not extending the same privileges to employees in the private sector.\n\nIn his 2026 Policy Address, Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, outlined plans to implement family care leave for all government employees as part of a series of initiatives to boost fertility. These measures include extending one-off baby bonuses and increasing child tax allowances. Lee had previously introduced childcare leave for civil servants in his 2024 Policy Address. Starting from early 2025, civil servants with children under three years old will be eligible for up to three days of childcare leave per year.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong civil servants could receive up to 12 hours of family care leave annually from next year, the city’s civil service minister has announced, as part of a raft of new measures to promote fertility and family-friendly workplaces. This would cover uses such as taking time off to take an elderly parent to a […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Gov’t considers 12 hours’ annual family care leave for civil servants to boost fertility",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/govt-considers-12-hours-annual-family-care-leave-for-civil-servants-9524005",
        "published": "2026-09-24T08:06:11.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}