Jeonbuk Province Supports Substitute Workers for Parental Leave

Applications Open from the 1st of Next Month
Support Available for 140 People

Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province is implementing the 'Support Project for Substitute Workers during Parental Leave.'

According to the province on the 26th, this support project was established to address the work gap caused by parental leave in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and to create a stable business environment.

Jeonbuk Provincial Government Office view. Provided by Jeonbuk Province

The project directly provides up to 2 million KRW to employees who are hired or dispatched as substitutes for those on parental leave, supplementing their income. The subsidy is paid in two installments of 1 million KRW each at the third and sixth month of employment. This new initiative was introduced to alleviate the labor shortage faced by companies, reflecting feedback from the field that it is difficult to find job seekers even when trying to hire substitute workers.

The support targets substitute workers hired at small manufacturing companies with fewer than 50 employees, which have been selected as beneficiaries of the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s substitute workforce subsidy, and who are employed after January 1, 2025. Each company can apply for up to two employees, and applications will begin on the 1st of next month, with plans to support 140 people.

The province plans to collaborate with the Jeonju Employment Center to resolve difficulties faced by SMEs in hiring substitute workers and to foster an environment where employees can freely take parental leave. For more details, refer to the announcement posted on the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province SME Integrated Support System or the Jeonbuk Economic and Trade Promotion Agency website, or contact the Corporate Growth Team.

Since last month, the province has also been operating the 'Support Project for SMEs Introducing the 10 AM Start System for Elementary School Parents,' which allows SME employees with elementary school children to reduce their working hours and balance work and childcare without wage cuts.

This project provides up to 1.1 million KRW in incentives to employers, and within the first month of implementation, the number of applicants reached 46, exceeding 50% of the target, showing a strong response from companies.

Kim Intae, Director of Corporate Attraction and Support at the province, said, "Parental leave is a right of workers, but there are still many cases where it cannot be freely used due to labor shortages. Through this support project, we will continue to discover and support various initiatives so that SMEs can confidently hire substitute workers, and create an environment where both companies and employees can grow together."

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