Despite the abolition of the hojuje system 21 years ago, Hyundai Steel's bereavement leave policy still reflects a patriarchal bias. The company grants paid leave for the death of an uncle or aunt but does not recognize the death of a maternal uncle or aunt. The National Human Rights Commission has deemed this practice discriminatory and has recommended improvements, indicating that controversy over fairness is likely to arise.
According to industry sources, Hyundai Steel's current bereavement leave policy specifies paid leave for the death of the employee's and their spouse's paternal grandparents. Paternal grandparents refer to the employee's uncles and aunts and their spouses.
The number of leave days varies based on work type and location. Employees working a 4-shift, 2-team schedule receive 2 days of paid leave in the Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon areas, and 3 days in other regions. Those on a 4-shift, 2-team schedule receive 1 day and 2 days, respectively.
In contrast, maternal uncles and aunts are not included in the bereavement leave eligibility. Employees can take paid leave for the death of their father's siblings and their spouses, but not for the death of their mother's siblings and their spouses.
This disparity also extends to the death of grandparents, with a maximum difference of 2 days in leave. For employees working a 4-shift, 2-team schedule, the death of paternal grandparents results in 4 to 5 days of paid leave, while the death of maternal grandparents only qualifies for 2 to 3 days. Similarly, employees on a 4-shift, 2-team schedule receive 3 days for paternal grandparents but only 1 to 2 days for maternal grandparents.
In contrast, competitors have either improved their bereavement leave policies or applied the same standards to both paternal and maternal relatives. POSCO revised its bereavement leave policy last year to eliminate distinctions between paternal and maternal relatives. Dongkuk Steel also operates its bereavement leave without differentiating between paternal and maternal kin.
The National Human Rights Commission has repeatedly classified this patriarchal approach to bereavement leave as discriminatory. In 2023, the commission determined that companies providing bereavement leave and financial support only for the death of paternal grandparents constituted discrimination based on family circumstances and gender, recommending improvements. The commission emphasized that, under civil law, paternal and maternal grandparents hold equal status, and there is no reasonable justification for treating them differently.
Bereavement leave is not a legally mandated leave under the Labor Standards Act, so specific criteria for granting it are determined through collective agreements or company regulations. However, even if bereavement leave is a welfare system operated at the discretion of labor and management, the legitimacy of differential treatment based on family relationships remains a separate issue.
A representative from the Hyundai Steel labor union stated, "We have raised this issue with the company, but we received a response indicating that there are no legal problems. We will definitely present this as a formal agenda item in the next negotiations to change the relevant regulations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.