With a strong rebound in the semiconductor market raising expectations for substantial performance bonuses, the parental leave usage rates among employees at Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have both declined. This unusual trend shows a correlation between improved performance and reduced utilization of employee welfare programs.
According to semi-annual reports submitted to the Financial Supervisory Service on September 27, Samsung Electronics reported a parental leave usage rate of 35.5% for employees with newborns in the first half of this year, down 0.7 percentage points from 36.2% in the same period last year.
By gender, the rate for male employees decreased from 12.4% to 11.2%, while the rate for female employees fell from 94.3% to 88.2%.
SK Hynix exhibited a similar trend, with a parental leave rate of 3.2% for employees with children under elementary school age, down from 4.0% a year earlier, a decrease of 0.8 percentage points. Both male (1.3% to 0.7%) and female (10.1% to 8.9%) employees opted for leave less frequently.
This simultaneous drop in parental leave rates at both companies, known for their excellent working environments and work-life balance policies, marks the first occurrence since related disclosures began.
Industry analysts attribute this trend to the extraordinary performance compensation opportunities arising from the semiconductor supercycle. Both companies have agreed to allocate around 10% of their operating profits for performance bonuses. Notably, projections suggest that Samsung Electronics' performance bonuses could reach several million won, driven by strong results in its semiconductor division.
Under current regulations, taking parental leave can exclude the duration from the calculation of working days, potentially disqualifying employees from receiving bonuses or reducing the incentive calculation ratio due to a decrease in total service duration.
As a result, employees are believed to be strategically adjusting the timing of their leave in relation to performance bonus payouts.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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