Starting next January, parental leave benefits will be increased to a maximum of 2.5 million won per month. In addition, the subsidy for replacement workers will also be increased to 1.2 million won per month.
On the 8th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it will give a legislative notice on the partial revision of subordinate laws of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act, the Employment Insurance Act, and the Employment and Industrial Accident Insurance Premium Collection Act from the 10th to November 19th. The enforcement decree includes major provisions related to expansion of government support, such as an increase in childcare leave benefits and an increase in corporate replacement manpower subsidies to ‘promote work-family balance’, which were included in the low birth rate plan announced in June.
According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number one thing people wanted to improve the parental leave system was ‘salary increase.’ In particular, it was found that among men with relatively high incomes, a decrease in income was the main reason for hesitating to take parental leave.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will increase childcare leave benefits starting next year. The post-payment method, in which 25% of the current monthly payment of 1.5 million won was paid six months after return, will also be abolished. Starting next year, up to 2.5 million won per month will be provided, and the full amount can be received during the childcare leave period without post-payment.
In addition, in accordance with the increase in childcare leave benefits, the first month’s upper limit of the ‘6+6 Parental Childcare Leave System’, which provides increased support for childcare leave benefits for the first 6 months when both parents take childcare leave within 18 months of their child’s birth, increased from the current 2 million won to 2.5 million won. It is raised to won.
For single-parent workers, parental leave benefits for the first three months will be increased from the current 2.5 million won to 3 million won per month.
In particular, even if you started parental leave before the law goes into effect in January of next year, you can receive increased wages for the period of parental leave used after the law goes into effect.
In addition, integrated applications for childcare leave and written permission will also be introduced. Parental leave is an obligation that employers must allow when an employee applies for it, but there were many opinions from the field that it was burdensome to apply for childcare leave again after using up all maternity leave. Accordingly, in order to ease the application burden on workers, the system is being reformed to allow for integrated application for childcare leave when using maternity leave or spouse’s maternity leave.
In some cases, it was difficult to use parental leave if the employer did not respond to the employee’s application. Accordingly, we plan to increase the effectiveness of the law by requiring employers to express their intention to grant permission in writing within 14 days of an employee’s application. If the employer does not express their intention, we plan to increase the effectiveness of the law by improving the childcare leave so that workers can use childcare leave as requested.
Government support will also be expanded to ease the burden on small and medium-sized businesses. Starting next year, replacement labor support will be provided not only for maternity leave and reduced working hours during the childcare period, but also when using childcare leave, and the level of support will also be increased from the current 800,000 won per month to 1.2 million won per month.
The work sharing subsidy (up to 200,000 won per month) not only reduces working hours during the childcare period, but also extends to childcare leave, so that workers can use the system without worrying about their colleagues.
Minister Kim Moon-soo said, “The three child care support laws will bring about very important changes in creating conditions for work-family balance in our labor market.” “We will ensure that parents can enjoy the benefits of the expanded system as soon as possible,” he said.
Economy Queen Reporter Kim Jeong-hyeon Photo News 1
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