[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government urged active use of 'family care leave' when children’s schools or daycare centers close due to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). It also pledged to ensure thorough support for employment retention subsidies to stabilize employment for workers in temporarily closed businesses such as manufacturing and tourism.
On the morning of the 17th, Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, held a 'COVID-19 Response Review Meeting and Expanded Policy Review Meeting' at the Government Complex Sejong and announced these measures.
Minister Lee said, "Please provide prompt and active support to workplaces facing difficulties related to COVID-19 according to relevant guidelines," and added, "I hope thorough efforts will be made to support employment retention subsidies for workers in temporarily closed businesses such as manufacturing, tourism, lodging, and dining."
The Ministry of Employment and Labor decided to recognize COVID-19 affected businesses as 'employers for whom employment adjustment is unavoidable' and relax the requirements to provide support even if they do not meet the employment retention subsidy criteria, such as a 15% decrease in sales.
In addition, Minister Lee stated, "Please guide people to actively utilize family care leave when schools or daycare centers close or suspend operations due to COVID-19." Family care leave is an unpaid leave that can be used for up to 10 days annually for reasons such as family illness, accidents, old age, or child-rearing.
He also ordered that workplaces applying for special extended work hours due to the surge in production of quarantine supplies such as masks and hand sanitizers be promptly reviewed and addressed according to guidelines.
Furthermore, regarding this year’s work plan, Minister Lee emphasized, "It is necessary to focus capabilities on measures to revitalize jobs in the private sector," and urged, "Local offices should pay special attention to the expansion of win-win type jobs."
He also said, "Please strengthen promotion and implement thoroughly the newly established continuous employment incentives and mandatory reemployment support services for companies with 1,000 or more employees to support the autonomous expansion of continued employment and reemployment for the 50s and 60s age groups after retirement."
He added, "We plan to prepare a job policy for people in their 40s by March to identify the causes of employment sluggishness in their 40s, revitalize industries such as manufacturing, and enhance labor market adaptability for this age group."
Additionally, Minister Lee urged efforts to achieve results within this year in areas including ▲supporting supplementary measures for the stabilization of the 52-hour workweek system in workplaces with 50 to 299 employees ▲expanding workplace innovation consulting ▲spreading transitional-type flexible working hour jobs ▲reducing the number of industrial accident deaths to below 725.
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