Office workers head home for the day in central Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 17 (Korea Bizwire) — As the government pushes to create a work-life balance environment as part of its efforts to cope with the low fertility rate and population aging, South Korea’s major companies are accelerating their efforts to support their employees’ work-life balance.
Samsung Electronics Co. offers paid paternity leave of 15 days (20 days for multiple births) and paid infertility leave of five days.
In addition, the company also supports work-life balance by creating paid miscarriage and stillbirth leave of three days that is not mandated by law.
SK Innovation Co. has introduced a work-hour reduction system for employees with children under the age of 9, enabling them to work four hours a day for up to one year per child.
For Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., their employees can take childcare leave for up to two years per child. They also have paid infertility leave of three days.
Lotte Group, which offered male employees childcare leave for the first time among local conglomerates, pays the difference between regular pay and government support in the first month to ensure that they do not hesitate to take the leave for financial reasons.
CJ Group allows its female employees undergoing infertility treatments to take infertility leave for up to six months starting this year.
They also enable male employees whose spouses have regular pregnancy checkups to take a paid leave of four hours per month.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
