Shanghai: Support for Employers to Establish “Family-Friendly Positions” and Implement Flexible Work Systems
Recently, the Shanghai Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, and the Shanghai Women’s Federation jointly issued a notice on the pilot implementation of the “Family-Friendly Employment Positions” model. This initiative supports employers in establishing positions with flexible working hours, adaptable work methods, and a welcoming work environment as “Family-Friendly Employment Positions,” primarily for workers responsible for the care of children under 12 years old.
The “Family-Friendly Employment Positions” will implement flexible work arrangements, allowing employers to adopt various management strategies such as flexible start and end times, remote work or telecommuting, flexible vacation policies, and performance assessments, thereby facilitating a balance between work and family responsibilities for employees. The rights and obligations related to these positions will be clearly outlined in the labor contracts or through relevant written agreements negotiated between the employer and the workers.
The Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, trade unions, and women’s federations will guide industries such as manufacturing, hospitality, and residential services, as well as new economic sectors like platform economy, digital economy, cultural and creative economy, and silver economy, in piloting the “Family-Friendly Employment Positions” model and expanding the resources available for such positions.
The notice states that Shanghai will establish a unified list of employers offering “Family-Friendly Employment Positions.” Human resources departments at all levels are required to ensure that employers strictly implement special labor protections for female employees, including maternity leave, rewards for childbirth, paternity leave, and parental leave. Trade union organizations at all levels will support employers in creating family-friendly workplaces, promoting the establishment of “Mommy Rooms,” employee centers, and “Parent-Child Studios,” as well as organizing childcare activities during winter and summer breaks to help employees alleviate parenting pressures.
Furthermore, the notice mandates that “Family-Friendly Employment Positions” be included within the framework of public employment services and that relevant employment training subsidy policies be implemented as stipulated. Based on the “15-Minute Employment Service Circle” and gig economy markets, various offline job fairs and online recruitment platforms should set up special sections for “Family-Friendly Employment Positions,” specifically labeling related job postings by employers.
Additionally, the notice requires that employers of “Family-Friendly Employment Positions” prioritize providing reintegration training for women reentering the workforce after childbirth. Workers in these positions participating in various vocational training and evaluations will be eligible for corresponding vocational skill enhancement subsidies as per regulations. The human resources department will also support vocational schools and social training institutions in actively offering training in fields such as elderly care, domestic services, infant care, health care, and vocational skills in internet marketing and multimedia operations.
