Longer maternity leave won’t lessen hiring of women – Campos
Makati City Representative Luis Campos, Jr. has allayed fears that the new law granting working mothers 105 days paid maternity leave would drive corporations to hire more men at the expense of women.
“We do not see the extended maternity benefit discouraging the employment of women. Men and women will continue to get hired as long as they have the skills, knowledge and personal attributes needed by employers,” Campos said.
“The truth is, we already have several firms affording superior maternity leave benefits to women,” Campos, a deputy minority leader, said.
The lawmaker cited the case of multinational business process outsourcing firm Accenture Inc., one of the country’s largest employers, with some 50,000 Filipinos on its payroll.
“Accenture here provides 120 days paid maternity leave to its female staff,” Campos said.
“There is really nothing unusual about the new law, as it merely aligns our maternity leave benefit with the global standard that entered into force 16 years ago,” Campos pointed out.
International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention 183 sets the maternity leave benefit standard at 14 weeks.
Under Republic Act 11210 which takes effect Mar. 7, “workers availing of the maternity leave period and benefits must receive their full pay.”
Employers from the private sector shall be responsible for payment of the salary differential between the actual cash benefits received from the Social Security System (SSS) by the covered female workers and their average weekly or regular wages, for the entire duration of the maternity leave, with the following exceptions, subject to the guidelines to be issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE): • Those operating distressed establishments; • Those retail/service establishments and other enterprises employing not more than 10 workers;
• Those considered as micro-business enterprises and engaged in the production, processing, or manufacturing of products or commodities including agro-processing, trading, and services, whose total assets are not more than P3 million; and
• Those already providing the equal of the new benefit or more.
The exemptions shall be subject to an annual submission of a justification by the employer claiming exemption for the approval of the DOLE.