Calls are growing for South Korea to institute a nationwide sickness benefit program as the criticism remains high over the effectiveness of the recently introduced vaccination leave policy.

Labor activists argue for legislative support to help many workers who would be still obliged to continue to work even when reporting adverse symptoms after taking their shots, which could be helped with the introduction of the sickness benefit program.

At the moment, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs is engaged in an internal discussion to make plans and details for a trial-run of the sickness benefit program slated for 2022. The institute and its counsels are discussing who to include and how much to give out within the program.

The sickness benefit policy is a state-run income support measure for employed and self-employed individuals who cannot work for health reasons. The program is in place for all OECD member countries other than Korea.

The local version is aimed to be provided for those with Korea’s national health insurance coverage. At the moment, paid sick leave is provided for workers only when they suffer from industrial accidents.

There are no clear rules as to how sick leave is to be managed for employees who fall ill outside work.

The vocabulary of “sickness benefit” did exist in the National Health Insurance Act but was not used in practice, as the act does not state how much should be provided for how long. Interest in the topic surged with COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of the vaccination leave policy.

Starting this month, those experiencing adverse symptoms after getting their COVID-19 vaccines are able to take one day off without a doctor’s note, according to the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters.

Those working at social welfare facilities can use their sick days, as can essential workers such as police officers, firefighters and military personnel. Businesses are “advised” to grant sick leave for employees receiving the vaccine.

Yet the program faces criticism from labor groups, as the voluntary measure could be loosely followed at best at businesses and corporations short on workers. The labor groups would like time off to be required of all employers upon request, if only to ensure the smooth progress of the vaccination program.

And if the program comes in force with sickness benefit program, labor groups argue that laborers would be protected to use their sick leave days without worrying about being disadvantaged at their workplace or losing income.

The government had acknowledged that its vaccination leave scheme is not impartial for workers across all sectors, as the measure will largely leave out some 800,000 freelancers, gig workers and others hired under special contracts such as delivery workers, insurance agents and caregivers.

“Paid sick leave is unrealistic for those in the private sector, employees at business with five or fewer workers and those with unstable employment that are outside the vaccination leave program,” argued Korean Healthcare Workers’ Trade Union in a statement last week.

“Even hospitals treating COVID-19 patients are ignoring the recommendation right now. Vaccination leave, on top of vaccination itself, should not be discriminatorily applied.”

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)