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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
SHANGHAI, January 9 (Xinhua) — Chinese parents have long mastered the complex art of balancing work deadlines with the desire to pick up their children from kindergarten. Few want to "leave their careers behind"; even fewer want to miss out on storytime. For Liu Yi, who lives in the eastern Chinese metropolis of Shanghai, and for many parents planning to join her, this balance is becoming increasingly manageable.
At 4:30 PM, Liu Yi, an operations manager at an online company, closes her laptop and heads off to pick up her child from school. Her position falls under the "parent-friendly workplace" category, which offers flexible hours and remote work options for employees with children.
Such positions are emerging as China seeks to create a more child-friendly environment, along with cash subsidies for families with children under three, a phased introduction of free preschool education, and a growing supply of childcare services.
Shanghai will launch a "parent-friendly workplace" pilot program in December 2024, encouraging flexible work arrangements for employees with children under 12.
At Huangdou Network Technology, where Liu Yi works, positions such as social media platform manager and streamer no longer require fixed work schedules. As long as they ensure content quality and teamwork, employees are allowed to flexibly schedule their work to accommodate their family needs.
A man surnamed Jin, a video editor at a Shanghai-based NGO specializing in planning community service events, switched to remote work when his daughter fell ill. His employer extended a similar flexible work arrangement to other digital-related positions, giving employees autonomy while maintaining accountability for results.
This program is spreading rapidly. According to official data, more than 540 employers in Shanghai have created parent-friendly workplaces, benefiting nearly 7,000 mothers and fathers.
Employers believe that flexible working not only helps retain qualified employees but can also increase productivity.
There is pent-up demand. A 2024 survey by the China Women's Development Foundation found that 78.4 percent of mothers chose the stay-at-home lifestyle due to a lack of childcare alternatives, with over 80 percent of these mothers planning to return to paid work.
Some companies are looking to create a parent-friendly environment in a broader sense.
Trip.com Group offers its employees "family leave for childcare," granting employees with young children three additional paid days of annual leave. Some companies offer summer childcare programs, sometimes allow children to be in the office, or host family-oriented events.
Zhuo Qun, an engineering manager at HuGang International Consulting Group Company Limited, had a difficult time returning to work after the birth of her second child. The company allowed her to gradually ease into the workforce at her own pace and maintained her career advancement opportunities.
“The competition for leadership positions was fierce back then, but the support of my managers and colleagues helped me regain my confidence and reach my current management position,” she said.
At her company, women occupy approximately 70 percent of mid- and senior-level management positions. "Female employees do not face career advancement limitations due to childcare responsibilities. Those with talent and a sense of responsibility are offered equal opportunities for advancement," said Shen Yongming, the company's administrative director.
The "parent-friendly workplaces" program is similar to an earlier initiative known as "mother positions," which was implemented in Zhongshan, a manufacturing hub in southern China's Guangdong Province, to alleviate factory worker shortages. Many other cities in the provinces of Guangdong, Shandong, and Hubei, as well as the metropolis of Beijing, have followed suit.
Parent-friendly practices should be expanded to more industries, says Qing Shisong, a demographer at East China Normal University, noting that such practices will benefit society as a whole, companies, and employees themselves.
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