Seoul childcare support programs see high participation in SMEs

A survey by the Seoul Metropolitan Government regarding its ‘Childcare-Friendly Company Support Project’ shows high satisfaction among participating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Among 283 surveyed companies, 60.8% reported that female employees used parental leave immediately following maternity leave. Additionally, 39.2% of companies reported male employees using paternity leave, with 14.1% of men using both paternity leave and subsequent parental leave.

The city recently restructured its support system to provide subsidies to both employees and the companies implementing these policies. Participating companies reported that the subsidies helped alleviate labor cost burdens and promoted a work-life balance culture.

A pilot program for reduced working hours for parents also yielded positive results. Participants reported an increase in daily direct childcare time and higher life satisfaction scores. Despite the reduction in hours, reported time spent focused on work actually increased. Notably, 61% of those utilizing the reduced hours were men, and 65.2% held middle-management positions or higher. The city plans to expand these support systems next year to further strengthen the childcare-friendly work environment.