Hangzhou—In a move to accommodate the growing trend of inter-city and inter-provincial marriages, East China’s Zhejiang Province has officially extended the duration of paid marriage leave for newlyweds from three to thirteen days.
According to Namibia Press Agency, the decision was ratified on Friday by the Standing Committee of the 14th Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress, the local legislative body. The new regulation, effective immediately, aims to address the logistical challenges faced by couples, such as the time required for pre-marital medical exams, marriage registration, and the wedding ceremony itself, which often involves travel between cities or provinces. Wang Renyuan, the director of the Zhejiang provincial health commission, noted that these types of marriages represent a significant portion of all unions in the area—approximately one-sixth and one-ninth, respectively.
This legislative change places Zhejiang alongside 24 other provincial-level regions in China that have enacted similar extensions to support marital and family life. Neighboring areas in the Yangtze River Delta, such as Shanghai and the provinces of Jiangsu and Anhui, also offer extended leaves, with Shanghai providing ten days and the latter two granting 13 days. These adjustments reflect broader demographic strategies aimed at encouraging family formation amidst China’s declining marriage rates and delayed marital ages.
Local statistics reveal a sharp decrease in the number of registered marriages in Zhejiang, from 442,000 in 2012 to 301,000 in 2023. Concurrently, the average age of first marriage for women in the province has increased from 24.2 years to 27.5 years. The extended marriage leave policy allows employees who legally register their marriage to take the allocated 13 days within a year of the registration date, excluding weekends and public holidays. Additionally, with employer approval, the leave can be extended by an additional six months.
Lyu Zhiliang, another member of the Standing Committee, emphasized the importance of trade union involvement in the negotiation process to protect both employee and employer interests. This includes flexibility in scheduling the leave, either in one continuous period or in stages, depending on workplace agreements. Moreover, individuals who married within a year prior to the regulation’s enactment are still eligible for the extended leave.
While the policy’s impact on birth rates remains to be seen, Xu Ming’en, also a committee member, highlighted potential challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are prevalent in the province. These businesses, characterized by smaller workforces, may require careful monitoring and support to balance employee benefits with operational viability.
