With the implementation of the universal two-child policy in China, enterprises with a high proportion of female workers are facing shortages in their labor force, People's Daily reported on Aug. 5.
In Xiangyan Elementary School in Jinan, Shandong pronvince, 75 of the 90 faculty members are women. The school's principal, Li Hong, said that four female teachers are currently on maternity leave, and five more are pregnant. A recent survey at the school showed that 11 female teachers were planning to have kids after getting married, and 25 are planning to have a second child.
According to Li, the women planning to have a second child are mostly experienced teachers, and there is no way to fully cushion the impact their absence will have if they are on maternity leave at the same time.
In order to ensure the reproductive rights of women, many local governments have extended the length of maternity leave. For example, in Henan province, women can enjoy a maternity leave lasting as long as 190 days no matter if they are having their first baby or their second. However, such policies have brought challenges to schools. One principal complained that 90 percent of his school's teachers are female, and the new policy means they may be on leave for more than half a year including summer vacation after giving birth.
"There will be no teachers for some courses if the school doesn't intervene," the principal said.
In most cases, as long as the quality of teaching is not seriously impacted, schools are doing their best to guarantee the rights and security of pregnant and post-partum teachers. Some schools request that the female teachers stagger their pregnancies, while some allow teachers who are breastfeeding leave work an hour early in order to feed their babies.
However, not all employers are being so generous. Some private companies still require employees to return to work after only one month of maternity leave.
