ENGLISH

Work and Family Life
Target and period of reducedworking hours for a childcare period
Target
- The employer shall allow an employee to apply for a reduction in working hours to raisechildren aged 12 or below or in the 6th grade or lower of elementary school (hereinafter referred to as “reduced working hours for child care period”) (main sentence of Article 19-2 (1) of 「Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act」).
Workhours during the period of reduced working hours for childcare
- The number ofwork hours during the period of reduced working hours for a childcare periodshall be not less than 15 hours and not more than 35 hours (Article 19-2 (3) ofthe Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act).
Theperiod of using the reduced working hours for a childcare period
- The reducedworking hours for a childcare period should be less than 1 year (the main bodyof Article 19-2 (4) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work BalanceAssistance Act).
· However, if there is a period that an employee did not use during the period of parental leave, the total period shall not exceed the period calculated by adding twice the unused period (proviso to Article 19-2(4) of 「Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act」).
- Employees canuse it by dividing the reduced working hours for a childcare period (formerpart of Article 19-4 (2) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-WorkBalance Assistance Act).
· The period of use in installments shall be at least 1 month (the remaining labor contract period for fixed-term employees who are unable to use the reduced working hours for at least 1 month because of the expiration of the labor contract period) (latter part of Article 19-4(2) of 「Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act」).
Sanctionsfor violations
- Employers who do not allow the reduced workinghours for a childcare period will be fined up to KRW 5 million (Article 39 (3), subparagraph 6 of the Equal EmploymentOpportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act).
Working conditions during the reduced working hours for a childcare period
- The working conditions (including work hours during the reduction of working hours) for an employee who uses reduced working hours for a childcare period shall be discussed with the employer and recorded in a written document (Article 19-3 (2) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act).
· Any employer who fails to obey the provisionsabove shall be punished by a fine not exceeding KRW 5 million (Article 39 (3), subparagraph 5 of the Equal Employment Opportunity andFamily-Work Balance Assistance Act).
- An employer shall not ask an employee on reduced working hours for a childcare period to extend his/her working hours. Only in cases where an employee clearly requests an extension of his/her working hours, the employer may permit an extension of work of not more than 12 hours per week (Article 19-3 (3) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act).
· Any employer who violates the provision above and asks an employee on reduced working hours for a childcare period to extend his/her working hours even when the employee didn’t clearly request it shall be punished by a fine not exceeding KRW 10 million (Article 37 (3) of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Family-Work Balance Assistance Act).