The country has announced plans to double the upper threshold for the number of vacation days eligible for infertility treatment from three to six, in a move to create an equal working environment for men and women.
The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family announced on June 7 that it reviewed basic plans for gender equality policies for 2023 and sought new measures to implement for 2024 at the 17th Gender Equality Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
The ministry will amend existing laws to expand leave for fertility treatments and a partner’s delivery, aiming to foster a gender-equal working environment.
The expansion of fertility leave comes after the National Human Rights Commission of Korea recommended changes following a case where a female employee was denied leave for fertility treatment.
In the meantime, the government aims to expand the nationwide safety system for childcare and encourage more workplaces to support work-life balance for their employees. To further bolster the childcare safety net, after-school programmes will be implemented in all elementary schools nationwide starting in the second semester of 2024.
The number of households receiving childcare services will increase from 86,000 to 110,000, with families having two or more children eligible for an additional 10% support for the expenses they spend on childcare.
The government also aims to add about 400 companies certified as “family-friendly” this year, bringing the number of such companies implementing family-friendly policies internally to 6,300 by year-end. — The Korea Herald/ANN
