Korean Job Discussion Forums

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

For fathers here in Korea, how much time did you take off or manage to get off from your job when your kid was born?

I'd like to take a few days at least, although my contract says nothing for this situation.

I do have a lot of sick days if my boss wants to be a dope, though.

casey's moon · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: Daejeon

I'm not a guy or a parent yet, but I think that the labour law allows you to take at least a couple days off for paternity leave. You should check into that...

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

I just closed the store for a day or two (and the kid was smart to be born on a monday morning) Very Happy

I do not believe there is any law that allows men to have a certain amount of days off when a child is born. BUT, how much time your employer gives you, well that should give you good insight into what kind of person he/she is. Thus, the fewer days you get, the less you try on the job.

Since I am a betting man, I say you get two days off.

Anyone else?

peppergirl · Joined: 07 Dec 2003

My husband will get one whole day off when our baby is born Confused

casey's moon · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: Daejeon

Are you sure??? I thought I read somewhere that the men can take off quite a bit of time, but most employers strongly discourage it (as with most of Korean labour law -- good on paper, but in practice almost nonexistent!) If phaedrus and peppergirl's husband can find out what labour law says, at least then they can try to wrangle an extra day or two?

BTW, Congratulations on your new one, Chiaa -- and phaedrus and peppergirl -- congratulations on your babies to be!!!!

chiaa · Joined: 23 Aug 2003

The Lemon · Joined: 11 Jan 2003

I wasn't owed any time out in my contract, but my school agreed with me that teaching couldn't happen that day, as the baby was born at 4am on a Monday morning.

Mom and baby were well looked after at the hospital for the rest of the week, and the baby's Korean grandparents were also there to help out, but really there wasn't much to do, as mom and baby slept most of the time. So I didn't mind teaching again on Tuesday after a good night's sleep. I still hung out at the hospital when I wasn't teaching, but there really wasn't much for me to do besides make sure my wife was OK, watch the baby, and take a bunch of baby pictures.

phaedrus · Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Location: I'm comin' to get ya.

intergalactic · Joined: 19 May 2003 Location: Brisbane

Our baby was born at 11.45pm on the last Sunday of summer vacation, so my husband took 3 days off, since in the first week of semester nothing much happens anyway. He didn't ask anyone, just told them that's what he was doing. Who's going to argue?

I remember the doctor saying to him on Tuesday "Shouldn't you go to work?". I only saw 2 other men in there the whole 3 days I was there, but lots of halmonis!