"Taking Parental Leave and Being Told to Quit the Company" The Reality of an Anonymous 'Korean Mom' Reported

220 Reports Received at the Anonymous Maternal Protection Reporting Center

It has been revealed that a total of 220 reports have been received over the past six months at the online Maternity Protection Anonymous Reporting Center, including cases where employers pressured (recommended) employees to resign due to parental leave.

On the 30th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor disclosed the results of the reports received at the online Maternity Protection Anonymous Reporting Center.

The Maternity Protection Reporting Center is a violation reporting window for maternity protection systems established at local employment and labor offices nationwide last April as a follow-up measure to the low birthrate policy (March 28, Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee). By allowing anonymous reports both online and offline, it reduces the burden of filing complaints or lawsuits, and when suspected legal violations are reported, labor inspectors promptly resolve issues through corrective orders and labor inspections.

As of the 20th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor has completed action on 203 out of the 220 reports received at the Maternity Protection Reporting Center. Investigations into the facts are ongoing for 17 cases.

Analysis of the 220 reports received shows that the most frequently reported issue was unfavorable treatment related to the use of parental leave (47 cases), followed by obstruction or denial of approval for parental leave use (36 cases), and obstruction or denial of approval for reduced working hours during childcare periods (27 cases).

Regarding an anonymous inquiry that did not disclose the company name but stated that the employer pressured (recommended) resignation due to parental leave, the Ministry of Employment and Labor explained that accepting such resignation recommendations could be considered a resignation by agreement, making legal remedies difficult, and provided guidance on legal relief procedures. Additionally, following reports of failure to grant maternity leave, workplace labor inspections were conducted, resulting in legal action against the employer, and inspections were carried out not only on maternity protection but also on labor-related laws in general to ensure corrective measures.

Lim Young-mi, Director General of the Integrated Employment Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, said, "We still hear voices from the field that using maternity protection systems is difficult," and added, "We have designated November to December as the intensive reporting period for the Maternity Protection Reporting Center and will strictly handle illegal activities reported according to laws and principles."

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