Experiencing the spread of coronavirus infection disease-19 (COVID-19), it was confirmed that there was no institutional support for the absence of care for children in dual-income households, etc., if daycare centers, kindergartens, or schools are temporarily closed or if people also want to protect their children at home to prevent infection without letting them go to school. Even though the family care leave system has been currently introduced, it is unable to cope with the incubation and quarantine periods and national pandemic period of an infectious disease such as COVID-19 because the leave is limited to a maximum of 10 days.

Therefore, where a worker’s minor child has an infectious disease, where a school, kindergarten, etc., to which children under elementary school age are going is temporarily closed, or where a special case of attendance is approved despite children’s absence, this amendment aims for the employer to allow the worker to have infectious disease care leave during the period of quarantine or temporary closure of the child-care center at the request of the worker, and in which case, the Minister of Employment and Labor provides the employer with the necessary support (Article 22-5, Article 37 (2) 9, and Article 39 (2) 9, newly inserted)

Where a worker’s minor child has an infectious disease, where a school, kindergarten, etc., to which children under elementary school age are going is temporarily closed, or where a special case of attendance is approved despite children’s absence, this amendment aims for the employer to allow the worker to have infectious disease care leave during the period of quarantine or temporary closure of the child-care center at the request of the worker, and in which case, the Minister of Employment and Labor provides the employer with the necessary support (Article 22-5, Article 37 (2) 9, and Article 39 (2) 9, newly inserted)