Public workers with first graders to go to work by 10 a.m.

Starting from this year, public institution workers, who have children entering elementary school, will go to work by 10 a.m. The government is also promoting a “childcare vacation” of 10 days a year for parents. These are measures to alleviate “childcare vacuum” when entering primary school, which require the parents’ care the most. The atmosphere of “Work and Life Balance” culture that seeks a balance between work and life is spreading through the society.

Measures to alleviate the burden of parents in relation to childcare were announced Tuesday by the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and relevant agencies announced. According to their announcement, workers of public institutions can go to work by 10 a.m. without any application starting from March if their children is a first grader. Public servants can adjust their working hours based on the “Comprehensive Countermeasures for Work Innovation,” which was announced by the Ministry of Interior and Safety on Jan. 16.

The government is planning to provide as much as 440,000 won per person a month to small and mid-sized companies that adjust the working hours of parents with first graders by allowing them to go to work by 10 a.m. (35 working hours per week). The government will make it possible to use vacation by hours for businesses where it is difficult to adjust working hours.

The government has also decided to adopt “childcare vacation” of up to 10 days a year by revising the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act. Up until now, a maximum of 90 days of leave of absence from work is possible under reasons such as a family member’s illness or fostering parents. However, if the revised bill passes, people will be able to use 10 days of the total 90 days to foster their children.

“Measures that are necessary to revise the law and plan budget will be announced additionally in March,” said Jang Yoon-sook, secretary-general of the Presidential Committee on Ageing Society and Population Policy.


Sung-Yeol Yoo ryu@donga.com · Mee-Jee Lee image@donga.com