The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission: "Parental Leave for Disabled Workers, Employers' Employment Burden Should Be Alleviated"

Recommendation of System to Ministry of Employment and Labor

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission has recommended easing the employer's obligation to pay employment levies during the childcare leave period of disabled workers.

On the 21st, the Commission announced that it recommended the Ministry of Employment and Labor to relax the employer's obligation to pay employment levies during the period when disabled workers take childcare leave.

[Image source=Asia Economy DB]

Under the current disabled employment levy system, workplaces with 100 or more employees are required to employ disabled workers at a rate of at least 3.1% of the total workforce. Failure to meet this obligation results in the payment of levies.

Accordingly, employers have uniformly paid employment levies when disabled workers took childcare leave and the mandatory employment rate was not met.

In fact, a hospital located in Jeonbuk that filed a complaint with the Commission had to pay about 5 million won in employment levies after a disabled worker took childcare leave, causing the mandatory employment rate to fall short.

The Commission judged that such a system could lead to side effects such as avoidance of hiring disabled workers.

Therefore, it decided that it is necessary to ease the employer's obligation to pay employment levies for a certain period to hire replacement workers.

A Commission official said, "This recommendation was made with the intention of improving the side effects that practically restrict disabled workers from taking childcare leave," adding, "We hope that the system improvement will foster a culture where disabled workers can comfortably take childcare leave."

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