KUALA LUMPUR: A post-maternity leave allowance will be introduced under the Employment Insurance System Act 2017 to empower women employees after childbirth, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said the female labour force participation rate shows a critical trend of early career exits.
"The rate drops sharply from an optimal level of 78.9% for the 25-29 age group to 68.6% for the 35-39 age group," he said at the national Labour Day celebration here on Friday (May 1).
"Maternity commitments are believed to be one of the contributing factors to this decline.
"This allowance is a financial aid for additional leave of up to 30 days taken after the end of the 98-day maternity leave period.
"The benefit is proposed at a rate of 80% of the assumed monthly wage of the insured employee, to be paid as a one-off," he said, adding that it is expected to benefit more than 132,000 women workers.
