"From the employers' viewpoint, better maternity benefits mean higher costs," says Professor Francis Lui Ting-ming, adjunct professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "They not only need to pay the mothers on leave, but also may have to hire part-timers to fill in, let alone the loss in productivity."
Lui is an economist who used to serve as a government advisor on long-term fiscal planning. Small business owners also objected to paying for the extra four weeks. Employers now are required to give a minimum of 10 weeks maternity leave.
"Four more weeks may not sound [like] a big deal," says Joe Chau Kwok-ming, president of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business. "But it is a 40% increase when compared with the current 10 weeks."