Incheon City Eliminates Salary and Welfare Disparities Among Social Welfare Facility Workers

Nationally Funded Facility Wages to Increase 100% by 2023 per Ministry of Health Recommendations
Nation's First Municipal Facility Long-Term Employee Automatic Promotion System Introduced
Paid Sick Leave Support and Expansion of Comprehensive Health Checkup Institutions for Nationally Funded Facilities

Incheon City Hall

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City is making efforts to improve the treatment of social welfare facility workers by introducing the first-ever automatic promotion system for long-term employees at city-funded social welfare facilities nationwide, raising wages for workers at nationally funded facilities, and expanding paid sick leave.

According to the 'Three-Year Plan for Improving the Treatment of Social Welfare Facility Workers (2021?2023)' established last year, the city announced on the 28th that it will invest 11.7 billion KRW this year to actively promote these initiatives.

First, the city plans to raise the wages of workers at nationally funded facilities to 100% of the level guided by the Ministry of Health and Welfare by 2023. Nationally funded facilities currently lack wage payment standards, resulting in poorer treatment compared to city-funded facilities.

Last year, the city invested about 3.5 billion KRW of city funds to introduce a step-based wage system for nationally funded facilities such as regional children's centers, group homes for children, shelters for abused children, and women's rights facilities. Additionally, wage compensation was provided to six facilities including regional self-support centers and homeless rehabilitation facilities, raising the wage level of nationally funded facility workers to 91% of that of city-funded facilities.

This year, the city secured a budget of 5.3 billion KRW for personnel expenses to increase wages for nationally funded facility workers to 94% of city-funded facility levels. The city plans to gradually raise this to 97% next year and 100% by 2023.

The city will also increase the recognized overtime hours for city-funded facility workers from 10 hours to 15 hours per month and introduce the nation's first automatic promotion system for lower-ranking workers.

This system promotes regular employees in lower positions with at least seven years of experience to higher positions within city-funded facilities. It is estimated that about 152 workers will be automatically promoted this year.

The city expects that the automatic promotion system will encourage long-term service, resolve personnel stagnation, reduce turnover rates, secure experienced professional staff, and ultimately provide high-quality social welfare services to citizens.

Until now, paid sick leave was only supported for city-funded facility workers, but starting this year, it will also apply to nationally funded facilities, and the number of comprehensive health examination institutions will be significantly increased.

Workers at nationally funded facilities who previously used unpaid sick leave can now use paid sick leave for up to 60 days annually through city funding support if they are unable to perform their duties due to illness or injury requiring hospitalization or surgery. Living wages will be applied during paid sick leave, and substitute personnel will be arranged.

Regarding the comprehensive health examination fee support (200,000 KRW per person), which was first implemented nationwide last year, the number of available hospitals has expanded from one, Incheon Medical Center, to 13 this year to provide more convenient access.

Additionally, special duty allowances and welfare points will continue to be provided to social welfare facility workers working in areas with poor transportation and cultural or educational facilities.

An Incheon City official stated, "We will improve the treatment of social welfare facility workers who care for citizens throughout welfare sites so that they can focus on their caregiving duties with a stronger sense of mission." The official added, "Furthermore, to communicate with the social welfare field, we plan to hold a public-private cooperation workshop in the first half of this year."