Personnel management ministry expands parental leave and career credit for civil servants

The personnel management ministry said it has revised regulations to expand childcare leave eligibility and recognize pre-certification work experience for civil servants.

The amended rules, which take effect Aug. 1, raise the age limit for children eligible for parental leave from 8 years old or second grade to 12 years old or sixth grade. The change aims to create a more childbirth- and parenting-friendly work environment, the ministry said.

A significant shift in hiring practices will also allow candidates in competitive career-track exams to receive credit for up to 50 percent of their work experience even if it was gained before they obtained mandatory professional certificates.

The revisions follow recent amendments in the State Public Officials Act, which introduced infertility leave as a distinct category separate from sick leave. Under the old system, officials undergoing fertility treatments had to use general disease leave. The new decree clarifies standards for salary reductions during such infertility leave.

Current employees will benefit immediately from the expanded seniority recognition, with their pay grades recalculated based on the new standards starting Aug. 1.