7 in 10 workers get no extra pay for covering parental leave: survey

The Korea Times - Oct 11, 2026

Most Korean workers who took on additional duties while colleagues were on parental leave or working reduced hours for childcare received no extra compensation, with 7 in 10 going unpaid for the added workload. According to a survey released by workplace advocacy group Gabjil 119 on Sunday, 47.8 percent of 1,000 workers said their workloads had increased due to colleagues taking maternity or parental leave. The survey was conducted nationwide from Sept. 1 to 7. The results suggest that employers are shifting the burden of staffing shortages caused by parental leave or reduced working hours onto existing employees rather than hiring replacements or adjusting workloads. Of the 478 respondents who reported taking on additional duties, just 29.5 percent said they had received extra compensation, such as allowances, while the remaining 70.5 percent received no additional pay. Awareness of government subsidies aimed at compensating workers who take on extra duties was also limited. Only 37 percent of respondents were aware of the government’s workload-sharing subsidy for parental leave, while

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Esports team DRX seeks to broaden territory into digital entertainment

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87% of dog meat farms closed ahead of February ban

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Hyundai Motor's cumulative India sales set to top 10 mil. vehicles this year

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4 papers co-authored by Hankuk University of Foreign Studies professor accepted in 3 AI conferences

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Sungkyunkwan University holds Southeast Asia round of Korean writing contest in Hanoi

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University of Seoul students showcase achievements of overseas exploration program

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US partnerships vital to Korea's tech industry

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Lee vows to communicate more directly with public: official

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[COVER STORY] Korea's 2-track AI strategy casts uncertainty over sovereign model project

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Cheong Wa Dae makes rare disclosure of Lee's golf outing ahead of opposition attack

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Experts see no quick fix to Korea-US intelligence rift

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