Inclusion of flexible employment into maternity insurance to ensure people's livelihood and fairness

【 Reading Tip 】 The maternity allowance exceeds 6000 yuan! Guizhou will include flexible employment personnel in the maternity insurance coverage

Commentator on Guangming Network: The restrictions on flexible employment personnel enjoying maternity insurance have been further relaxed. Recently, the Guizhou Provincial Medical Insurance Bureau issued a notice on improving the maternity insurance system, clarifying that from October 1 of this year, flexible employment personnel will be included in the maternity insurance coverage. Flexible employment personnel who meet the payment conditions for basic medical insurance for employees shall enjoy maternity medical benefits and maternity subsidies. According to the current distribution standards, the maternity allowance exceeds 6000 yuan.

Not surprisingly, Guizhou's move to improve its maternity insurance system has attracted widespread praise. In fact, Guizhou is not the first to "eat crabs". In August 2022, the National Health Commission and 17 other departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Further Improving and Implementing Active Maternity Support Measures", clarifying that flexible employment personnel who participate in basic medical insurance for employees can also participate in maternity insurance in places where conditions permit. Following closely behind, Zhejiang, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangxi and other places carried out explorations tailored to local conditions.

The current maternity insurance system in China mainly targets female employees with established labor relations. With the development of the economy and society, especially the rapid development and iteration of the digital economy, the forms of labor are becoming more diverse and the connotation of labor is constantly enriched. The most significant point among them is the continuous growth of flexible employment groups with vague employment relationships, and their increasingly important roles in economic and social life. Sending and receiving express delivery, charging online classes, ordering takeout, and calling for door-to-door cleaning... Flexible employment has deeply integrated into our daily life and deeply embedded in the daily operation of society.

There are nearly 200 million flexible employment personnel in China, accounting for about 1/4 of the total employed population, and there is an increasing trend of "high education" and "youthfulness". From a gender perspective, although there is no exact data showing the current number of female flexible employment personnel in China, it is not difficult to estimate by comparing the following statistics. According to a report released by the China Academy of Information and Communication Technology, it is expected that by 2025, the number of women employed in China's digital economy will reach 120 million. According to an estimation by a research institution, in 2022, the number of Chinese women who have achieved flexible employment solely through digital platforms has exceeded 38 million. The proportion of women in flexible employment cannot be underestimated.

Regardless of their employment relationship and status, women during maternity leave also need livelihood security and material assistance due to labor interruptions. In reality, due to the inability to pay maternity insurance and apply for maternity benefits, flexible employment women actually bear higher childbirth costs. The inclusion of flexible employment personnel in the maternity insurance coverage in Guizhou and other regions is a positive response to the new changes in the current labor market. The filling of relevant policy gaps will enable this large group to enjoy the necessary medical treatment and welfare protection; At the same time, ensuring better protection of women's employment rights is also a necessary obligation to promote social fairness and ensure people's livelihoods.

As one of the core systems for optimizing maternity support policies, the continuous expansion of maternity insurance coverage and improvement of institutional design will directly reduce the cost of childbirth for women