Newsletter
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT UNDER AMENDMENT
A meeting of the Executive Yuan Council on 11 September 2008 approved a draft of proposed amendments to the Employment Insurance Act (EIA), which would increase the maximum age for being insured under the EIA to 65, introduce subsidies for unpaid parenting leave, extend the maxi-mum period of unemployment benefits for middle-aged, older, and disabled workers, provide for ad-ditional benefits according to the number of an unemployed worker's dependent family members, and empower the government to pursue employment promotion measures such as employment stabiliza-tion and assistance to business start-ups.
In the future, if a worker who has been insured under the EIA for a cumulative period of one year, and who has a child aged under three years, takes unpaid parenting leave in accordance with the Gender Equality in Employment Act, the worker (whether the mother or the father) can apply for a parenting leave supplement, payable at a rate of 60% of the insured person's average monthly insured income. For each child, both the mother and the father may each receive the supplement for up to six months, i.e. for a combined maximum of 12 months.
Under the current EIA, unemployment benefit is payable at 60% of the insured's average insured monthly salary, for up to six months. In consideration of the fact that the average period of unem-ployment for middle-aged and older workers, and for physically or mentally disabled persons, is longer than for other workers, and that they have greater difficulty in finding re-employment, the proposed amendments would extend the maximum period of unemployment benefits for such workers to nine months. If an unemployed worker supports a spouse without income from work, a minor-aged child, or a disabled child, additional unemployment benefit at 10% of the worker's average insured monthly salary will be payable for each such dependent, up to a maximum of 80% of the average insured salary.
The Council of Labor Affairs stated that the draft amendments will shortly be sent to the Legislative Yuan for scrutiny. If they successfully pass their third reading during the current legislative session, they can be implemented during the first half of 2009 at the earliest.