Employees changing jobs should be aware that their medical leave, or "medical treatment period", resets with each new employer and is not carried over from a previous one.

Take David's case as an example. After working at Company A for 10 years, he joined Company B, and has been employed there for over six months when he broke his leg on a weekend trip. Faced with a lengthy recovery, he worried about how long he could remain on medical leave without risking his job.

Shanghai's regulations state that medical leave length depends on how long an employee has been with their current employer. Employees in their first year are eligible for three months of medical leave. For each subsequent full year of service, one additional month is granted, with a maximum total of 24 months.

In David's situation, despite having 10 years of previous experience, his time at Company A does not count towards medical leave at Company B. Since he is still in his first year at Company B, his statutory medical leave remains three months.

Source: Official WeChat account of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security at "shrsjwx"