Hong Kong employers resist more paternity leave days

Hong Kong’s employers claim that paid paternity leave is a key reason for Europe’s massive economic woes today.

The Federation of Hong Kong Industries is vehemently against a proposal to increase paid paternity leave for civil servants to more than the current five days. Only 2% of Hong Kong’s male workforce will be affected by the paternity leave issue, however.

In contrast, all working mothers in Hong Kong receive 10 days maternity leave.

The federation warned that statutory paternity leave requirements will raise labour costs and place an unnecessary burden on employers. European countries that have statutory paternity leave have experienced budgetary difficulties and rising debts, said federation deputy chairman Stanley Lau.

"Some of the countries in Europe, they are going to be broke or are almost broke," Lau said, adding that parental leave was partly to blame.

Hong Kong University economics professor James Vere, however, said more paternity leave days would have no significant impact on Hong Kong's economy and could not be blamed for Europe's troubles, which were "due to many, many, many factors.”

The Confederation of Trade Unions favors increasing paid paternity leave days. It said Hong Kong's powerful business lobby has a long history of opposing any labour reform, including the minimum wage that was only introduced in 2011.

"The problem with Hong Kong employers, they always react in a negative way to employee welfare," said confederation General-Secretary Lee Cheuk-yan.

In the absence of any statutory parental leave allowances, most working fathers are forced to use up their holidays and sick-leave if they want to spend time with their newborns.