"High Customer Interaction Means Getting Vaccinated First" ... Retail Sector Introduces Up to 6 Days of 'Vaccine Leave'

On the 16th, when rain fell nationwide, a department store in downtown Seoul was bustling with shoppers. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The distribution industry is collectively introducing a 'vaccine leave' system that grants paid leave to employees who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. Given the nature of the distribution industry, where employees inevitably come into contact with many customers, the aim is to encourage vaccination to protect employees' health and create a shopping environment where customers can visit with peace of mind.

According to industry sources on the 31st, Lotte Shopping began sequentially implementing vaccine leave across all its business divisions starting last week. Paid leave is granted on the day of vaccination, and if adverse symptoms occur after vaccination, employees can take up to two additional days of paid leave without needing separate documentation such as a doctor's note.

Those vaccinated with Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines can use paid leave for both the first and second doses, guaranteeing up to six days of vaccine leave.

Shinsegae Group also decided to grant two days of paid leave including the vaccination day to employees who receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If adverse symptoms occur, an additional day of paid leave can be taken. This applies to employees across all affiliates including department stores, E-Mart, SSG.com, and Starbucks.

Homeplus employees also receive two days of paid leave per dose, including the day of vaccination. If adverse reactions occur after vaccination, they can take an additional day of paid leave.

Hyundai Department Store Group will implement a paid vaccine leave system starting next month on the 1st for employees of 13 affiliates including department stores, home shopping, and duty-free shops. Some affiliates such as Handsome have already been applying paid leave sequentially since the 18th.

Employees receive two days of paid leave on the day of vaccination and the following day regardless of adverse symptoms, resulting in a total of four days of paid leave for those requiring two doses. The company also encourages employees to take additional paid leave or personal annual leave based on their health condition after the paid leave period, depending on the affiliate.

A Hyundai Department Store Group official said, "We decided to introduce paid leave so that employees who have been vaccinated can rest sufficiently and return to work. We will contribute to overcoming COVID-19 by providing a safe working environment and increasing vaccination rates."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.