支持母職，還是支持性別平等？台灣親職假的設計、落實與影響

在大多數福利國家的經驗裡，有薪親職假是促進生育率、降低婦女職場中斷、平衡兩性工作與家庭負擔的重要家庭政策之一。然而，台灣過去一直採用無薪資給付的育嬰假設計，婦女常因生育照顧需求而中斷其就業，導致婦女在就業市場上長期的不平等處境。2009年開始，台灣的親職假政策配合各種職業保險法規修法，讓投保者可以在子女三歲以前，享有六個月六成薪的育嬰留職停薪津貼。目前台灣的相關研究仍然停留在尚未有育嬰留職停薪的研究。而目前台灣在親職假上的討論分屬在育兒政策、人力管理政策、勞工政策等進行討論。因此文獻較少以性別平等的角度探討政策與措施。本研究聚焦於討論有薪親職假是否以及如何影響男女雙方的性別平等分工與態度，除了照顧的經驗與家庭物分工外，特別期待看到雙方在決策、權力和資源上的差異。研究者以質性研究的方式，針對2009年後使用育嬰假的13名親職假使用者，包括3位男性與10位女性，進行深度訪談。研究發現如下： 1.絕大多數育嬰假使用者仍為女性，且母職信念與認知，是最大的申請動機。亦有結合工作倦怠與母職因素，使用育嬰留職停薪作為工作喘息。 2.多數使用者以六個月為主，原因在於有薪親職假才能維持家庭收支平衡。其生活樣態以照顧勞動為主，易對於生活有限制感產生。 3.育嬰留職停薪津貼的實施下，多數使用者將津貼收入視為工作收入，即使無過去的工作收入，擔任全職照顧者的使用者並未影響到其家庭地位及權力展現。 4.育嬰留職停薪津貼亦促進部分男性願意返回家庭，實踐照顧工作。顯示對於目前台灣育嬰留職相關政策，對於性別平等未有實質積極成效，但仍有消極促進的影響。最後，依據本研究發現，對於育嬰留職停薪政策提出四項建議： 1.育嬰假期的彈性運用：將為期2年的育嬰假延長至3年，並由夫妻雙方彈性配置2人的使用期間，以期待夫妻雙方皆能使用。並參考瑞典的父親限額，以鼓勵男性使用育嬰假。 2.臨時托育支持與資源：以社區作為最小單位，提供育嬰假使用者的相關的托育支持與服務。 3.開設父親育兒支持性團體：配合婦產科醫院，針對準父親開設男性育兒支持團體，提供相關育兒知識與技巧，並且提倡男性照顧勞動的責任及益處。 4.加強育嬰假政策的宣導，尤其是針對男性進行推廣，以期分擔女性的照顧責任。

關鍵字

育嬰假；育嬰留職停薪津貼；性別平等

並列摘要

Parental leave, especially with salary or supplementary benefits, has been regarded as one of the core family polices in most welfare states. It is designed to increase fertility rate, to support women’s employment and to reconciliate work-life balance between sexes. Parental leave regulations before 2009 tend to be no pay leave in Taiwan. Over 50% of employed young women leave the labour market every year for the reason of giving care to children. The situation of female care interruption has caused great gender inequality, both economically and socially. The new parental leave regulation for 6 months with 60%of salary since 2009 allows fathers and mothers with children under 3 to take time off from work to care for children. Most policy discussions on parental leave policies so far remains around child care, human resource management, and impacts for women’s employment, however, little has been mentioned in terms of its impact on gender equality. This study aims to look at the parental leave policy more closely with gender lens, especially how it affects men and women to rationalize their choices and how they recognize and share care responsibility and house work. Based on qualitative research design, in-depth interviewing is used as main method for collecting data. 13 participants with take-up experience, including 3 men and 10 women, are purposely sampled and interviewed finally. This study argues, 1.Most whom apply paid parental leave remain female, although, indeed, it encourages more men to think about their choice. The common application motives are largely related to individual’s beliefs surrounding motherhood. Some participants experienced job burnout, they use parental leave to leave their jobs temporarily, like a respite service. 2.Many participants can only use up their 6 months leave duration and go back to work soon because they need to make ends meet. Many felt tiresome and suppressed for only caring children and carrying out house work. 3.Accomplished parental leave allowance, most users regard the allowance as a supplementary wage based on parental right. With 60% of previous income supplement, most women felt much more secure financially and respected socially because they are not dependents to others. 4.Paid parental leave regulations make it more possible for men to take up their leave. However, 60% of salary supplement for 6 months remains insufficient to cover the household’s expense. Women with relatively low paid are still regarded as the first choice to care for children, thus the policy impact on promoting gender equality is insignificant. Some suggestions for further considerations on family support and parental leave scheme are made, based on the findings, including the levels of flexibility offered to leavetakers, in terms of age of child, duration of leave, to enable men to participate more.

並列關鍵字

parental leave policy ； parental leave allowance ； gender equality

參考文獻

王舒芸、余漢儀（1997）。奶爸難為－雙薪家庭之父職角色初探。婦女與兩性學刊，8，115-149。

謝美娥（2009）。就業母親之母職經驗與就業策略初探。中華心理衛生學刊，22（3），299-334。

一、英文文獻

Google Scholar

Allen, Sarah M. , & Alan J, Hawkins.（1999）. Mater Gatekeeping: Mother’ Beliefs and Behaviors That Inhibit Greater Father Involvement in Family Work. Journal Of Marriage And The Family, 61(1), 199-212.