Record Bonuses Lead to Drop in Parental Leave Rates at Samsung and SK hynix

While record-breaking performance bonuses are expected for employees at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix amid a semiconductor boom, the parental leave usage rates at both companies have simultaneously declined.

Samsung Electronics reported that its parental leave usage rate for the first half of this year stood at 35.5%, down 0.7 percentage points compared to the same period last year.

SK hynix also saw its rate drop to 3.2%, a 0.8 percentage point decrease from the same period last year.

This marks the first time that parental leave rates have fallen concurrently at both companies, which are widely recognized for offering an excellent work-life balance.

Analysts suggest this trend is a deliberate choice by employees to avoid missing out on historic performance bonuses.

Previously, labor and management at Samsung Electronics and SK hynix agreed to pay performance bonuses of up to 10.5% and 10% of operating profit, respectively, with no upper limit.

With improved financial performance anticipated from the semiconductor boom, the scale of these bonuses is expected to grow significantly.

An industry insider explained that this appears to reflect employees' concerns that taking parental leave could exclude them from bonus payouts or reduce their payout rates due to a shorter active tenure.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.