Ideal maternity leave: Neither short nor too long

Recent years have seen local authorities revising the population and family planning regulations as well as woman employees' labor protection regulations. As a result, maternity leave has been extended in many areas, and women on maternity leave can receive salary and other welfare benefits, instead of only the basic salary.

Woman employees across China are now entitled to at least 128 days' maternity leave, and many regions have the provision to extend it further. For example, article 14 of the Jiangxi province female employee labor protection special regulation, which came into effect on July 1, stipulates that female employees can apply to their employers for extending the maternity leave till their child is 1 year old.

The stipulation of the State Council, China's Cabinet, on maternity leave is only 98 days, but in some provinces women enjoy up to 335 days of maternity leave. The different duration of maternity leave in different provinces and regions have prompted many to ask what would be the ideal duration of maternity leave.