From November, paid leave for infertility treatment will increase from 2 days to 4 days. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 27th that it will revise the Labor Standards Act and relevant enforcement decrees to expand paid leave for infertility treatment from 2 days to 4 days per year for workers. Currently, under the Labor Standards Act, employers are obligated to provide 2 days of paid leave per year for workers who have been undergoing infertility treatment for at least 6 months. However, many workers have complained that 2 days of leave is insufficient for infertility treatment, and there have been frequent cases where workers were forced to take unpaid leave or were subjected to disadvantages such as changes in work schedules. In response, the Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to revise the Labor Standards Act to increase the paid leave for infertility treatment from 2 days to 4 days. The revised bill also strengthens penalties for disadvantageous treatment of workers who take leave for infertility treatment. If an employer unfairly treats a worker who takes leave for infertility treatment, such as by demoting or changing their job, the employer will be punished with imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 30 million won. The Ministry of Employment and Labor said, "We expect that the expansion of paid leave and strengthened punishment will help create a warm workplace culture that supports workers' health and fertility." The revised Labor Standards Act and relevant enforcement decrees will take effect on November 19th.
From November 27th, the paid maternity leave period for assisted reproductive treatment has increased from a maximum of 6 days to a minimum of 4 days. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the updated guidelines for the adoption of this leave system and exemplary cases through its publication "Guidelines on Utilization of Maternity Leave for Assisted Reproductive Treatment" on the 23rd.
The scope of use for this legally mandated leave, like other statutory holidays, has been expanded through amendments to labor laws and administrative interpretations. The period of coverage for this type of leave was expanded from the end of April this year to include the pre-treatment stages such as the necessary medical tests and procedures like embryo transfer.
The monthly salary ceiling has also been raised from ₩16,842,000 to ₩33,068,400. Starting from this same date, employers found to provide less favorable treatment to employees who utilize this leave may face up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of up to ₩300,000,000. Earlier this year, the labor ministry had also broadened the scope of this leave to include the pre-treatment stages.
The government's support for women seeking to extend their working years has become increasingly necessary as the age of first-time mothers continues to rise. The government's efforts to strengthen this support while fostering a work environment where employees can utilize these benefits without fear of retribution will continue.
Written by urgent.news from Hankyoreh's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
