Korea has made progress when it comes to time-off policies.
PTOs, maternity and paternity leaves are legally protected—and even encouraged.
But in the real world?
Using them still feels complicated.
Especially when it comes to long-term leave like maternity, paternity, or extended personal leave.
1. First, Let’s Clarify: PTO vs. Parental Leave
In Korea, PTOs (Paid Time Off) typically refer to:
- A day or two off for personal reasons
- Often viewed as acceptable, if occasional
- Generally easier to take—though still sometimes met with subtle pressure, when the company is going through a busy season. (but is there a place in the world where no one really cares about taking PTOs in the busiest times?)
Maternity and paternity leaves, on the other hand, are:
- Extended leaves lasting from one month to a year
- Often for childcare or major life events
- Legal and supported in policy—but far more difficult to navigate culturally
2. Why Is Long-Term Leave So Hard?
Even with progress in policy, the hesitation remains. And a lot of it comes down to culture, not rules.
“Will I be seen as abandoning the team?”
In a collectivist culture like Korea’s, there’s a strong sense of shared responsibility. And with that comes an underlying fear:
“If I take time off, will my team think I’m letting them down?”
No one says it directly—but it’s felt.
Taking months off for personal reasons—even for something as important as starting a family—can still feel like you’re stepping outside the collective effort. And because relationships are deeply valued in Korean work culture, workers feel the need to constantly “show up” for their teams, even at personal cost.
The teammates also have the same perspective. Whether it's something they could say it directly, or it's just hidden somewhere deep inside their heart, the teammates do not want to see you going on a leave.
3. “Who's going to take over my role?”
Another practical reason why long-term leave is so difficult:
👉 There’s often no plan for coverage.
In many Western workplaces, there’s a norm around:
- Hiring temps or contractors during long leaves
- Delegating work through structured handoffs
- Planning ahead for reentry
But in Korea, full-time roles are still the dominant standard, and job-sharing or temp roles are rare. This is mainly due to the HR system in Korea.
It's harder for an employer to fire an employee. The employee's rights are pretty strictly protected by the law, which at the same time makes it harder for the employees to get hired because the employers want someone who would work with them for a longer period of time, and have better skillset.
There's a narrower pool, so the employers get picky.
So as a result of all this, when someone steps away—even temporarily—their workload gets redistributed across the team.
And that leads to unspoken thoughts like:
“We’re already stretched thin—this is going to be hard without you.”
It’s not resentment, but stress—and it makes both the person going on leave and their teammates uncomfortable.
4. The Stability Trap
Korea’s intense focus on job security and long-term employment comes from decades of rapid economic growth. What’s often referred to as the “Miracle on the Han River” created a generation of workers who were taught that:
- Job loyalty is everything
- Staying in one place shows commitment
- Gaps in your career history raise eyebrows
Many of today’s leaders—especially Gen X and Baby Boomers—built their careers during this time. They see stability as a virtue.
So when younger employees talk about taking extended time off, or wanting a gap year, or a mental health break, the response from leadership can sometimes be skeptical or dismissive.
Not because they’re unsympathetic, but because they come from a generation where time off wasn’t an option—it was a risk.
5. Yes, Leave Is Legal—But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Easy
Korea’s policies have improved:
- Paid parental leave is available
- Government incentives support companies that offer better work-life balance
- Public awareness around burnout and mental health is growing
But at the ground level:
- Coverage is rarely planned for
- Colleagues quietly shoulder the extra load
- Returning from leave can feel like starting over
There’s a kind of invisible tension:
“We support your leave… but we hope you think twice before actually taking it.”
So, What Needs to Change?
Korea has the policies. Now it needs the culture, systems, and mindset to match.
- Normalize long-term leave as part of a sustainable career
- Create actual structures for handoffs and coverage
- Encourage leadership to lead by example
- Reframe absence—not as abandonment, but as a right
Taking time off—whether for family, health, or personal growth—shouldn't be a guilt trip. It should be part of a healthy work system.
[Final Thought]
The irony is that Korea’s focus on stability—something that helped it grow into an economic powerhouse—is now making it harder for workers to step away and recharge.
But a healthy workplace isn’t just about how fast we go.
It’s also about how well we rest.
If you haven’t read my post on how Korea's work culture shapes the concept of Agile in Korea, go check it out.
It explores why Agile struggles in hierarchical workplaces.
<Agile in Korea: When Culture Shapes Methodology>
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