Mainland’s local governments call on companies to offer flexible work arrangements for working parents during school holidays

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Various local governments are encouraging companies to implement staggered leave arrangements and to prioritise annual leave applications from employees with school age children.

As spring break begins for primary and secondary schools across many parts of Mainland China – with some overlapping with the statutory Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Festival) from 4-6 April 2026 – families can enjoy up to six consecutive days off. To support working parents spending time with their children, various government departments are encouraging companies to offer flexible work and staggered leave arrangements for their employees.

As such, the Suzhou Municipal People's Government has recently outlined several specific measures, including:

• Encouraging companies to coordinate employees' leave needs in advance, prioritising paid leave applications from staff with school-age children, and supporting employees in flexible, segmented use of annual leave so it can be combined with statutory holidays and adjusted weekend rest days to create longer breaks.
• Encouraging companies to establish flexible time-off and work-shift mechanisms, balancing operational needs with employees’ right to rest through flexible scheduling, remote working, shift rotations, and workforce reallocation to achieve flexible staggered leave.
• Encouraging companies to conduct collective consultation with labour unions or employee representatives, incorporating staggered leave and flexible time‑off arrangements into collective agreements, and clarifying the leave entitlements of employees with children in primary and secondary school during spring and autumn breaks.
• Encouraging eligible government agencies, enterprises, and public institutions to actively fulfil social responsibilities – on the premise of ensuring safety and compliance – by utilising internal facilities such as activity rooms, cafeterias, or meeting rooms to provide temporary childcare, cultural activities, and other support services for employees’ children.