From now on, in small and midsize businesses, a work-sharing subsidy will be paid to colleagues who share the duties of an employee on spousal paternity leave. The program, which had been limited to colleagues sharing the work of employees on parental leave or reduced working hours during childrearing, is being expanded.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 26th that it will give advance notice of legislation for 41 days starting today for partial amendments to subordinate statutes of the Employment Insurance Act and the Act on the Collection of Employment Insurance and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Premiums.

On March 7, 2024, a race for babies 12 months old and under takes place at EXCO in Buk-gu, Daegu, during the 39th Daegu Baby & Kids Fair. Babies move toward the finish line as they look at their fathers' beckoning hands. /Courtesy of News1

Under the work-sharing subsidy, when an employer pays a work-sharing allowance to an employee who fills a work gap, the government reimburses it. Small and midsize businesses are eligible.

The size of the subsidy will be set later by a notice from the Minister of Labor. For reference, the current work-sharing subsidy for parental leave is up to 600,000 won per month, and for reduced working hours during childrearing it is up to 200,000 won per month. The ministry said, "We expect the use of spousal paternity leave by men in small and midsize businesses to proceed more smoothly."

The basis for adjusting parental leave benefits has been revised so it can be applied in proportion to the "leave period," instead of the previous monthly basis. A short-term parental leave system to respond to sudden childcare needs is scheduled to be introduced starting Aug. 20. However, because the existing adjustment basis for parental leave benefits was defined on a monthly basis, it was difficult to apply to short-term parental leave taken in one- to two-week increments.

In addition, to enable faster job creation, the reporting deadline for the start of operations under the regional employment promotion subsidy was shortened from within 1 year and 6 months to 6 months, and the application period for the employment promotion incentive was extended from within 12 months of the date a worker is newly hired to 1 year and 6 months. Also, vocational training allowances can now be paid to incumbent employees of small and midsize businesses and to foreign workers.

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