Paid sick leave scheme to kick off in July

A person receives a test at a COVID-19 screening center near Seoul Station, June 8. Yonhap

Employees given right to rest with introduction of new measure

By Lee Hyo-jin

The government will introduce a statutory sick pay trial scheme from next month in six areas, which would guarantee COVID-19 patients the "right to rest," as the authorities are considering lifting the seven-day self-isolation rule.

The Central Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters said Wednesday that the paid sick leave will be launched on a one-year trial basis beginning from July 4, under which employees will be eligible for sick pay of up to 60 percent of minimum wage if they fall ill with diseases that are not related to their work. Korea's minimum wage is currently 9,160 won ($7.09) per hour.

During the one-year trial period, the measures will be adopted in one district in Seoul and five cities across the nation; Jongno District in Seoul, Bucheon in Gyeonggi Province, Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province, Suncheon in South Jeolla Province, Pohang in North Gyeongsang Province and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province.

Discussions on the need to guarantee workers the "right to rest" have emerged since the early stages of the pandemic, as Korea is one of the only OECD countries that does not guarantee paid sick leave by law. A survey conducted by the Institute for Health and Social Affairs found that less than half ― or 46 percent ― of employees were able to take paid sick leave in 2021.

Wednesday's announcement came as the government is reviewing the possibility of easing the seven-day self-quarantine rule for those who test positive for COVID-19, which prompted concerns that COVID-19-infected employees will not be able to take sick leave from work, thus putting fellow employees at risk of infection.

"The new measures will enable workers to take sick leave (in select jurisdictions during the trial period), preventing the spread of infectious diseases while allowing them to receive due medical treatment," said Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min during a COVID-19 response meeting. He added that the government will announce whether to lift the seven-day self-quarantine this Friday.

Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min with his mask off ahead of a COVID-19 response meeting held at Government Complex Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

According to the current rules, those who have tested positive for the virus should self-isolate for seven days. Violators of the rule may face a punishment of up to 1 year in prison or 10 million won in fines.

After downgrading the infectious disease of the coronavirus to Level 2 in late April, the health ministry said it will decide whether to ease the self-isolation rule on May 20, after a four-week interim period. But the plan was delayed for another four weeks due to the unstable virus situation.

If the government decides to ease the seven-day self-isolation period for those who test positive on Friday, COVID-19 patients would be only "recommended" to stay at home and avoid contact with other people, but they will no longer be legally required to do so.

At a briefing held on Tuesday, Lim Sook-young, a senior official at the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said that the agency is considering various options, including shortening the isolation period to five days during a transition period.

But she said a final decision is yet to be made as "various discussions are underway among health experts."

The possible removal of the self-quarantine for infected patients would leave only a few basic measures to defend against the spread of the virus, such as the required wearing of face masks indoors.

Meanwhile, the number of daily new infections has remained below 10,000 for the sixth consecutive day. According to the KDCA, the country reported 9,435 additional cases for Monday, raising the total caseload to 18,248,479.

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