Civil Servants to Get Fertility Treatment Leave Starting December

A dedicated fertility treatment leave system for public officials will take effect starting later this year.

The Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have announced legislative updates to the Enforcement Decree of the State Public Officials Act and the Enforcement Decree of Local Public Officials Act, allowing public officials in need of fertility treatments to apply for leave.

Following the passage of amendments to the State Public Officials Act and the Local Public Officials Act in June to establish the fertility treatment leave, which is scheduled to take effect on December 3, the proposed revisions outline specific implementation plans for the system.

Previously, officials requiring time off for fertility treatments had to rely on the general sick leave system, but they will now be able to use a separate, dedicated fertility leave.

The grounds for taking fertility leave are specified in the enforcement decree as cases where "an official undergoes fertility treatments, such as assisted reproductive technology, due to infertility."

The duration of the leave is "within one year," but it can be extended by up to another year in unavoidable circumstances.

As a rule, personnel authorities must grant fertility leave when requested, though they are given the discretion to decide whether to approve it if the total leave period exceeds two years per child or if it is specially required for the efficient utilization of personnel.

Under these circumstances, the government plans to allow personnel authorities to consult a committee including relevant experts regarding the necessity of the leave.

In addition, the government plans to ensure that public officials in need can reliably use the leave while also monitoring service management to prevent excessive abuse of the system.

(Photo provided by Ministry of Personnel Management, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.