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Reimbursement of Maternity Leave Pay Scheme opens for applications
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     The Labour Department (LD) today (April 1) announced that the Reimbursement of Maternity Leave Pay Scheme is now open for applications from employers.

     The statutory maternity leave (ML) under the Employment Ordinance (EO) (Cap. 57) has been extended from 10 weeks to 14 weeks effective from December 11, 2020. Through the scheme, employers can apply for reimbursement of the statutory maternity leave pay (MLP) paid to employees in respect of the 11th to 14th weeks, subject to a cap of $80,000 per employee. The LD has appointed a processing agent to assist with the implementation of the scheme.

     An LD spokesman said, "We expect that the extension of statutory ML, in conjunction with the implementation of the scheme, will benefit 27 000 pregnant employees and their employers every year."

     An application for reimbursement of MLP must meet the following requirements:
 
  1. the employee relevant to the application has been employed by the applicant and entitled to ML and MLP under the EO;
  2. the employee has taken her ML and the applicant has paid MLP for all of the 14 weeks to the employee;
  3. the employee's confinement occurred on or after December 11, 2020; and
  4. the MLP paid to the employee for the additional four weeks has not been and will not be covered or subsidised by other government funding.

     Employers, after paying employees all of the statutory MLP according to the EO on the normal pay day, may directly submit online applications through the Reimbursement Easy Portal at www.rmlps.gov.hk. Employers may also download the application form from the portal or obtain it from the LD's Labour Relations Division offices (www.labour.gov.hk/eng/tele/lr1.htm) or the scheme's service centre (address: Unit 204, 2/F, South Island Place, 8 Wong Chuk Hang Road, Hong Kong), and return it by email (enquiry@rmlps.hk), fax (2178 0328), or post/in person to the scheme's service centre.

     As regards the details of the scheme and information needed for submitting an application, please visit the portal or call the scheme's service hotline on 2636 6353 during service hours (9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6.15pm) from Monday to Friday, except public holidays.
 
Ends/Thursday, April 1, 2021
Issued at HKT 12:00
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