Authorities in East China's Shanghai Municipality issued a circular, in late December 2024, aimed at encouraging employers to designate positions with flexible working hours, adaptable work styles and family-friendly environments as parent-friendly positions. 

Further, the circular stressed the positions should be filled primarily by workers who are responsible for caring for children under the age of 12. 

The positions are to operate under a flexible work system, to allow employers to implement flexible start and end times, allow remote or home-based work, implement flexible leave policies, and adopt performance-based assessments, to facilitate employees in managing both work and parenthood responsibilities. 

The circular was issued by the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, and Shanghai Women's Federation. 

The circular noted human resources and social security departments, at all levels, should urge employers to implement special labor protections for women employees, including maternity leave, birth-reward leave, paternity leave, and childcare leave. 

The departments should include parent-friendly positions in public-employment services, with relevant employment-training-subsidy policies implemented as outlined, the notice added. 

The circular also made clear employers offering such positions should prioritize postnatal-return-to-work retraining for women re-entering the workforce after giving birth.

Photo from VCG

(Women of China English Monthly January 2025)

Editor: Wang Shasha