Flexible Parental Leave Policy Gains Traction: Male Applicants Outnumber Females for the First Time in May

According to the Central News Agency, the Ministry of Labor announced on the 2nd that the new flexible parental leave system, which took effect on New Year's Day, allows parents to apply for leave on a 'daily' basis. Latest statistics show that in May, the proportion of male applicants reached 50.3%, surpassing females for the first time. Cumulative applications have exceeded 24,000. The Ministry of Labor noted that male participation in childcare is becoming more common. To encourage small and micro-enterprises to support this, the Ministry provides a 'Friendly Employer Incentive,' offering 1,000 NTD per day to employers who approve daily leave requests. In the first quarter, nearly 2 million NTD in incentives were issued, though 70% of eligible employers have yet to receive funds due to missing bank account registrations.