Short-term parental leave of one to two weeks will become available. A new short-term parental leave system has been created so it can be used when a child's kindergarten or school is closed or when a child is sick. In addition, men were previously able to take parental leave only after the birth of a child, but parental leave will now be allowed when a spouse is pregnant.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 11th that the Cabinet reviewed and approved amendments to the enforcement decrees of the Act on Gender Equality in Employment and the Employment Insurance Act reflecting these measures.
Under the amended enforcement decree, short-term parental leave can be used once a year. The period used for short-term parental leave will be deducted from the total parental leave period. However, it will not count toward the number of times of partitioning use. When taking short-term parental leave due to school breaks, it must be requested 30 days in advance. For closures of childcare centers or schools, or for illness or accidents, same-day requests are also allowed. Short-term parental leave will be available starting on the 20th of this month.
Men will be able to take parental leave before a child is born when a pregnant spouse faces health risks such as miscarriage or preterm birth. Spousal pre- and post-childbirth leave can be used from 50 days before the expected due date to 120 days after birth. Leave for a spouse's miscarriage or stillbirth has also been newly established, for up to five days. The spousal leave and parental leave measures will take effect starting on the 18th of next month.
Meanwhile, exceptions to the reduced working hours system for childrearing have been narrowed. Previously, workers could not use reduced working hours for childrearing in cases of ▲ less than six months of service ▲ difficulty with working-hours partitioning due to the nature of the job ▲ inability to hire replacement workers. Going forward, reduced working hours will apply even when it is difficult to hire replacement workers.