Labor ministry expands paid infertility-treatment leave from November

The labor ministry said Sunday it will expand the paid share of annual infertility-treatment leave from two to four days on Nov. 27, citing a growing need for support as pregnancy and childbirth ages rise.

Workers will still be entitled to six days of annual infertility-treatment leave.

For workers at companies eligible for priority support, the cap on infertility-treatment leave benefits will rise from 168,420 won ($121) to 336,840 won ($242).

From Nov. 27, employers that subject workers to unfavorable treatment because they use infertility-treatment leave can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.

Last August, the ministry extended the leave's scope to preparatory stages before treatment, including infertility testing and ovulation induction. In May, it allowed workers to submit an infertility-couple treatment-cost support decision notice in place of a medical certificate when applying for infertility-treatment leave benefits.

The ministry's guidance includes workplace examples for protecting privacy when employees make a request. Lotte Shopping's department-store division renamed the leave Family Planning Leave to limit disclosure of treatment details during the application process. Ecopro operates an independent approval system in which department heads cannot view the content of leave applications; only its human-resources team can access the application records.

"As the ages at which people become pregnant and give birth rise, the need for government support for infertility-treatment leave is becoming even greater," Joo Jeong-suk, director general for employment support policy at the labor ministry, said. "Because it is an important system for overcoming low birth rates, the government will strengthen its support while continuing to work to build an environment in which employees can use the system at their workplaces without having to worry about the views of others," she added.