SJM has announced that starting this month it will enhance parental benefits by increasing paid maternity leave for female employees from 70 days to 90 days and paid paternity leave for male employees from five days to seven days. The announcement means all six gaming concessionaires in Macau have now increased maternity leave entitlements.
SJM stated that the adjustment is an active response to the Macao SAR Government’s policy direction of encouraging childbirth and further highlights the company’s determination to foster a family-friendly workplace.
Daisy Ho, Managing Director of SJM, said, “We have always placed great importance on the physical and mental well-being and family happiness of our employees. A strong family support framework is also a key foundation for attracting and retaining outstanding talent.
“This benefits upgrade fully reflects the company’s firm commitment to employee welfare. We hope that, through more comprehensive parental benefits, SJM can be the most reliable support behind every employee at important moments in life.”
In addition to extending maternity and paternity leave, SJM pointed out that it boasts long-established lactation rooms in back-of-house areas, provides employees with newborn gift vouchers and has rolled out a range of childcare support measures.
Macau is currently planning to amend its Labour Relations Law, with the intention of mandating 90 days of maternity leave to improve its childbirth-related policies.
Childbirth has become a major topic of public concern in the SAR in recent years. To help raise the birth rate, the Macau government introduced a childcare subsidy as early as July last year, under which each child under the age of three can receive a monthly subsidy of MOP$1,500 (US$187.50).
However, Macau’s birth rate remains low. In 2025, the number of newborns in Macau continued to fall and hit a record low, with only 2,871 babies born throughout the year – more than a 20% drop compared with the 3,606 births in 2024.
