The Right to Rest for Sick Workers! ... Pohang City Shines with One Year of Pilot Project Results on Sickness Benefits

Pohang City has been striving to realize a warm welfare city through the first phase of the Sick Leave Allowance pilot project, which has been in effect since July 4 last year.

The Sick Leave Allowance is a system that supports income during the period when a worker cannot work due to injury or illness unrelated to their job, allowing them to focus on treatment and subsequently return to work in good health.

As of July 9 this year, the city received a total of 1,220 applications for the Sick Leave Allowance over the past year and paid out 943 cases amounting to 940 million KRW. The average payment period was 22 days, and an average of 990,000 KRW was paid to workers who applied for the allowance.

For example, self-employed individual A received 4.04 million KRW (payment period of 87 days) due to injuries related to the neck and shoulder, while employee B received 4.17 million KRW (maximum payment period of 90 days) for cancer-related illness.

Regarding the status of Sick Leave Allowance recipients in Pohang City, the highest proportion by employment type was health insurance workplace subscribers at 71.8%, followed by self-employed individuals at 21.3%. Notably, Pohang has the highest proportion of self-employed recipients among the six regions operating the first phase pilot project.

By age group, those in their 50s accounted for the highest proportion at 37.9%, followed by those in their 40s, 60s, and 30s, with those in their 50s and 60s making up 59.5%, more than half of the total.

The main illnesses among Sick Leave Allowance recipients were injuries related to the neck and shoulder at 31.7%, followed by musculoskeletal disorders and illnesses such as cancer.

Participating medical institutions in Pohang include five general hospitals such as Pohang St. Mary's Hospital, as well as public institutions like Pohang Medical Center and the health centers of Nam-gu and Buk-gu districts. Additionally, 44 out of 279 clinic-level medical institutions in Pohang, accounting for 15.8%, are participating, and more medical institutions are being recruited to improve accessibility for citizens to obtain diagnosis certificates for Sick Leave Allowance applications.

The Sick Leave Allowance can be applied for by employed persons aged 15 to under 65 years who reside in Pohang or work at workplaces within the region, holding Korean nationality (health insurance workplace subscribers or employment/industrial accident insurance subscribers), and self-employed individuals who are unable to work for more than one week (7-day waiting period) due to illness or injury unrelated to work.

However, since the purpose of the Sick Leave Allowance system is to support income for employed workers, retirees and unemployed persons are excluded from eligibility. During the period when work is not possible due to illness or injury, 46,180 KRW per day can be supported for up to 90 days within one year.

To apply, applicants must check participating medical institutions on the National Health Insurance Service website, visit the relevant institution to obtain a ‘Diagnosis Certificate for Sick Leave Allowance Application,’ receive a ‘Work Interruption Confirmation’ from their workplace, and then apply via the National Health Insurance Service website or by visiting, mailing, or faxing to the Pohang Southern Branch of the NHIS.

Self-employed individuals must additionally prepare business activity and sales report documents or sales proof and apply using the same method. Applications are reviewed by the National Health Insurance Service for eligibility and appropriateness of the benefit period before payment is made.

The "Phase 1 Sick Leave Allowance Pilot Project Promotion Agreement Ceremony" held prior to the launch of the sick leave allowance pilot project in June last year.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok stated, “Since Pohang City’s first phase Sick Leave Allowance pilot project will be extended until the full system is introduced in 2025, we will work closely with related organizations to successfully promote the pilot project and devote efforts to publicity so that many citizens can benefit.”

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