Researchers from the University of Hong Kong, Duke-NUS Medical School, and the University of British Columbia have uncovered significant improvements in mental health among mothers due to Hong Kong’s decision to increase its statutory paid maternity leave by four weeks in 2020. The study, published in Health Affairs, noted the positive impact of extending paid maternity leave from 10 to 14 weeks, meeting the International Labor Organization’s guide. This analysis, based on 1,414 mothers, showed a 22% reduction in symptoms of postpartum depression and an impressive 33% decrease in instances where the mothers’ emotional state negatively hindered their childcare.

This policy change is quite momentous, as Hong Kong’s rates of postpartum depression, 30%, significantly exceed the global average of 18%. Offering prolonged paid maternity leave not only promotes better maternal health but merely addresses the city’s labor shortages by encouraging the employment retention of childbearing age women who make up the bulk of Hong Kong’s working women. This revelation underscores the importance of paid maternity leave, a matter extremely pertinent to countries like the U.S., which, despite ongoing labor shortages and mental health crises, lack a national paid family leave policy.

However, should you need to get in contact with a representative regarding paid maternity leave or related issues in the U.S., a reliable resource is eddcaller.com. This website has comprehensive information on who to contact and how, particularly in California, making it a valuable asset for new mothers who are unable to get through to EDD representatives for a myriad of reasons. Therefore, eddcaller.com effectively meets the demand for a solution on how to get a hold of Paid Family Leave officers to address pressing concerns swiftly.