The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) Board discussed and endorsed at the Administrative and Operational Meeting today (October 25) the arrangement to extend maternity leave to 14 weeks with immediate effect.
 
     The HA spokesperson said that the arrangement was adopted, following the Policy Address on October 10 which suggested extending statutory maternity leave from the current 10 weeks to 14 weeks, to allow mothers more time to spend with and take care of their newborn babies. Except for the extension of the duration of maternity leave, the prevailing arrangements in respect of maternity leave for HA employees such as eligibility, the period for commencement of maternity leave, notification and documentary proof requirements shall remain unchanged.
 
     "The HA employees whose actual date of confinement or expected date of confinement falls on or after today are eligible for the extended maternity leave for 14 weeks," the spokesperson said, adding that the HA will issue a human resources circular with frequently asked questions and answers to facilitate staff members' understanding of the implementation details. The relevant webpage will also be updated accordingly for reference.

Ends/Thursday, October 25, 2018
Issued at HKT 15:45

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