To further stabilize and expand employment, and in line with the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, as well as the decisions made by the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee and national and local policies on promoting high-quality full employment and building a fertility-friendly society, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, and the Shanghai Women’s Federation recently issued a joint “Notice on the Pilot Program for ‘Fertility-Friendly Positions’ Employment Model.” This initiative aims to gather resources from various sectors and encourage employers to adopt measures that help balance work and family responsibilities, actively fostering a fertility-friendly work environment.

01. Encouraging the Development of “Fertility-Friendly Positions”

The “Notice” clarifies that employers are encouraged to designate positions with flexible work hours, adaptable working methods, and supportive work environments as “fertility-friendly positions.” These positions are primarily intended for employees responsible for the care of children under the age of 12. “Fertility-friendly positions” will adopt flexible working hours, allowing employers to implement flexible start and end times, remote work, flexible leave, performance evaluations, and other flexible management methods to help workers balance their jobs and child-rearing responsibilities. The rights and responsibilities related to these positions should be clearly agreed upon by the employer and the employee, and included in the employment contract or a separate written agreement.

Human resources, trade unions, and women’s federations will actively encourage employers to create “fertility-friendly positions” and develop reasonable position standards. Special focus will be placed on industries such as manufacturing, hospitality, and residential services, as well as new economic sectors like platform economy, digital economy, cultural and creative industries, and silver economy. These areas will pilot the implementation of the “fertility-friendly positions” employment model to expand job resources for these positions.

02. Optimizing the Work Environment of “Fertility-Friendly Positions”

The “Notice” also states that the city will establish a unified list of employers offering “fertility-friendly positions.” Local human resources departments should ensure that employers strictly implement special labor protections for female employees, including maternity leave, childbirth rewards, paternity leave, and child-rearing leave. Trade union organizations at all levels will support employers with “fertility-friendly positions” in creating fertility-friendly workplaces by promoting the establishment of facilities like “Mommy Care Rooms,” employee homes, and parent-child studios. They will also organize childcare services during summer and winter vacations and after-school programs to alleviate the childcare burden on employees. Women’s federations will leverage resources such as women’s and children’s centers, community family development guidance centers, and women’s homes to offer services to employers with “fertility-friendly positions.” Additionally, commercial human resources service agencies will be encouraged to provide specialized services for “fertility-friendly positions.”

03. Improving Employment Services for “Fertility-Friendly Positions”

The “Notice” calls for integrating “fertility-friendly positions” into the scope of public employment services and implementing relevant employment training subsidy policies as stipulated. It encourages the use of the “15-minute employment service circle” and gig job markets, along with offline job fairs and online recruitment platforms, to create special recruitment sections for “fertility-friendly positions.” Employers posting job openings through public employment service agencies will be required to mark these positions clearly.

At the same time, human resources departments will include employers with a high number of hires and a positive social impact in the city’s key enterprise employment service and guarantee list. These employers will receive tailored services and be given priority when applying for employment and entrepreneurship internship bases or participating in the “Promoting Employment Advanced Enterprises (Organizations)” selection.

04. Strengthening Skills Training for “Fertility-Friendly Positions”

The “Notice” specifies that employers offering “fertility-friendly positions” should prioritize offering reemployment training for women returning to work after childbirth. Workers in “fertility-friendly positions” who participate in various vocational training and evaluations will be eligible for corresponding career skill enhancement subsidies as per regulations. Additionally, human resources departments will support vocational schools and social training institutions in providing training in areas such as elderly care, housekeeping services, infant care, health care, internet marketing, and multimedia operations.