(Ecns.cn)--The Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council released a notice on November 21 soliciting public comment on the Regulations on Special Labor Protection for Female Employees, which prolong a working woman's maternity leave to 98 days from the current 90 days, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Other benefits listed as part of the draft include at least two weeks of leave for women who suffer miscarriages or have abortions if they have been pregnant for less than four months. Women in similar situations who have been pregnant for four months or longer can enjoy at least six weeks of leave.
However, according to a survey of 1,386 netizens, 66.7% worry that the policies are not yet perfect, while 55.7% think they would be hard to put into practice.
Furthermore, 63% are fearful that the new regulations might create difficulties for women trying to find jobs; 54.9% speculate that employers would prefer male employees in key positions; and 44.7% believe companies may cut pay for female staff to reduce expenses on maternity compensation.
At this, 73.7% and 67.7% suggest that salaries and medical reimbursements for female employees on maternity leave should be further elaborated, respectively, while 53.6% believe that harsher punishments should be imposed on companies that violate related regulations.
About 75.4% feel that more women now prefer late births, of which the "high costs of raising a baby" (81.7%), "intensified life pressure" (69.1%) and "busy work" (59%) are the top three causes. Some also blame "housing conditions" (52.3%), "maternity policies" (44.7%) and "future career" (40.4%).
