Family support measures won't be fully extended to all foreigners: MOL

Taipei, May 27 (CNA) The Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Wednesday that proposed family support measures unveiled as part of a new government strategy to address Taiwan's declining birthrate will also apply to certain foreign workers, but not migrant domestic workers and live-in caregivers.

The measures, announced earlier Wednesday by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), include extending marriage leave from eight to 14 days, maternity leave from eight to 12 weeks, and paternity leave from seven to 14 days.

• President Lai outlines proposals to address Taiwan's declining birth rate

At a news conference in Taipei, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said the measures would also apply to foreign workers in Taiwan, including households in which both parents are foreign nationals.

However, he said that while migrant workers covered by the Labor Standards Act -- such as those employed in construction and manufacturing sectors -- would benefit from the measures, migrant domestic workers and live-in caregivers would not be fully covered.

That is because those two types of workers are not covered by the Labor Standards Act, meaning entitlements under the act, such as marriage leave, do not apply to them, nor would the proposed expansion of those benefits, he said.

As the proposals require approval by the Legislative Yuan before they can take effect, Hung said the ministry hopes the new measures can be implemented on Jan. 1, 2027.

"Many workplace systems are calculated on a yearly basis, and businesses will need time to adjust their systems," Hung explained.

For the expanded leave for newlyweds and parents-to-be, the proposed measures also include subsidies for employers, with the government fully covering wages paid during the newly added leave days.

The measures would also extend parental leave eligibility from parents with children up to 3 to those with children up to 6, while expanding parental leave allowances.

They also include subsidies for small and medium-sized enterprises to hire replacement workers or provide duty-substitution allowances when employees take childcare-related leave.

To pay for the labor-related measures under the new government strategy, Hung said funding would come from the government budget and the Employment Insurance Fund, with the total exceeding NT$20 billion (US$636.8 million).

According to the Ministry of the Interior, births in Taiwan fell for the 10th consecutive year in 2025 to a record low of 107,812, while the total fertility rate stood at 0.69, one of the lowest in the world.