Over 1,000 Workers Apply for 10 AM Start Program; Eligibility Requirements Eased

More than 1,000 workers have applied for the newly established 10 AM start program for parents within three months of its launch, prompting the government to ease the eligibility requirements for incentive payments.

On July 1, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the implementation of changes to the incentive payment criteria for the 10 AM start program.

The 10 AM start program allows workers with children under 12 years old or in the sixth grade of elementary school to reduce their working hours by one hour per day, helping to fill care gaps during school drop-off times. Employers in small and medium-sized enterprises who do not reduce employee wages can receive a monthly incentive of 300,000 won per worker for up to one year.

As of the end of last month, 758 companies had applied for incentives for 1,078 workers, reaching about 60% of the annual target of 1,734 supported workers. Given that applications began in earnest in April, the participation rate has spread relatively quickly.

Since the program's launch, 670 million won has been paid out to 776 workers across 561 companies. Notably, 30% of the supported workers are men. The program aims to address the short care gaps during school drop-off times, allowing parents to start work later and making it easier for small businesses to adopt.

Starting today, the Ministry is relaxing the eligibility criteria. Previously, only workers who had been employed for six months at their company and worked at least 35 hours per week were eligible for the incentive. Now, the six-month employment requirement has been removed, allowing any worker who meets the 35-hour threshold to participate, regardless of their length of service. The documentation process has also been simplified.

The Ministry plans to closely monitor the implementation and will consult with financial authorities to secure additional funding if necessary. The budget for this year's 10 AM start program is set at 3.1 billion won, with a target of supporting 1,734 workers. The overall budget for the work-life balance job incentive program is 27.5 billion won, aiming to support 12,977 workers. If the current application pace continues, there may be a need to assess the risk of budget depletion.

Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, "The 10 AM start program is a highly impactful policy that secures childcare time for working parents during school drop-off. Through this system improvement, we aim to support companies in adopting the program without administrative burdens and help more working parents benefit from it."

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