Reducing the Burden of Filling Vacancies Caused by Local Officials’ Parental Leave... Personnel-Cost Support Raised from 1.6 Million to 1.9 Million Won

[Financial News] Support for personnel costs to fill vacancies among local government officials created by parental leave and other forms of leave will increase. The amount added to standard personnel expenses when replacing employees on parental leave will rise from 1.6 million won to 1.9 million won per month. Pay for employees on infertility-treatment leave will also newly be reflected at up to 1.6 million won per month.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) announced measures to improve local government staffing policies on the 16th. The changes are intended to reduce the heavier workloads placed on remaining employees when vacancies created by increased parental leave and other forms of leave cannot be filled promptly.
The first measure concerns standard personnel expenses. These are the total personnel-related expenditures calculated by MOIS for each local government.
When a local government fills a vacancy left by an employee on parental leave with another worker, a certain portion of the allowance paid to the employee on leave is additionally reflected in standard personnel expenses. This amount will increase by 300,000 won, from the current 1.6 million won to 1.9 million won per month. The measure is intended to ease the burden on local governments that hesitate to fill vacancies because allowances for employees on leave overlap with personnel costs for replacement workers.
Infertility-treatment leave will also newly become eligible for support. Of the pay provided to an employee on infertility-treatment leave, 1.6 million won per month will be added to standard personnel expenses.
The range of personnel expenses available to local governments will also be expanded. All local governments will be given a “discretionary range for standard personnel expenses.” The range will be set in consideration of the vacancy rate, and local governments will be allowed to operate with staffing levels exceeding standard personnel expenses within that range. MOIS explained that this will have an effect equivalent to allocating additional standard personnel expenses.
The timing of recruitment will also be moved forward. When local governments draw up staffing plans, they will be required to estimate not only existing vacancies but also vacancies expected in the future due to leave and other reasons.
The government will also address vacancies caused by people who pass civil service examinations but defer their appointments. MOIS plans to revise the Local Public Officials Appointment Decree to add “deferred appointment” to the grounds for selecting additional successful candidates in open competitive examinations for local government officials. This will allow additional candidates to be selected when deferred appointments prevent the number of actual employees from being replenished.
Local governments that actively fill vacancies resulting from leave and return from leave will receive incentives. MOIS will develop measures to provide benefits in the calculation of standard personnel expenses or offer awards to local governments with strong organizational and personnel management performance.
Kim Min-jae, vice minister of MOIS, said, “The excessive workloads faced by frontline public officials due to staff shortages will inevitably lead to a decline in the quality of administrative services.” He added, “We will create an environment in which local government officials can maintain a balance between work and family.”

[email protected] Lee Bo-mi Reporter