• Asian Journal of Business Environment
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to empirically evaluate the unintended welfare losses induced by paid sick leave, examine the severity of the unintended moral hazard loss caused by paid sick leave, and evaluate how much moral hazard cost society can accept to obtain paid sick leave benefits. Research Design, Data and Methodology: We examine the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data collected in 2013 and 2014 by employing a panel probit analysis to control for individual heterogeneity. Results: The estimation result shows that the probability of absence due to paid sick leave increases from 4.91% to 7.84%. Among them, excluding the probability of increasing absence from 1.29% to 2.69% due to the actual disease, the probability of absence due to the moral hazard was estimated to be 2.41% to 6.49% in the proposed models. Based on the result, if we evaluate the increase in absence caused by moral hazard as a social cost, the estimated cost is approximately $174 to $297 per worker per year. Conclusion: Considering these expected costs, our society can obtain the access benefit from paid sick leave if we are willing to accept the moral hazard cost.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.286-300
• /
• 2020

In 2019, the Seoul metropolitan government established its own 'Seoul-type paid sick leave project'. Although the central government had to introduce such a system, which is also called sickness benefits, it was not implemented. In order to understand the process by which the Seoul government has implemented such a policy, this study used Kingdon's multiple streams framework. As a result, in the problem stream, it was found that the economic burden of sickness has been considered only in terms of medical expenses in the past of Korea. Then Songpa's three women and Middle East respiratory syndrome incidents raised awareness of the necessity of the sickness benefit system in 2014 and 2015. In the political stream, several social affairs such as national health insurance huge surpluses and the 2017 presidential election opened policy window. At that time, Seoul Mayor actively promoted sickness benefits as a policy entrepreneur. In the policy stream, the sickness benefit system has gained new attention through political events. To summary, these three streams flowed separately and then they assembled around huge political affairs. As a result, it was confirmed that Kingdon's model is the most effective theory than any other models in analyzing the health care policy decision process in Korea.

• Health Policy and Management
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.112-129
• /
• 2019

Currently, the South Korean Government does not provide sickness benefits from the National Health Insurance, which is different from most other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. The sickness benefit guarantees a part of lost income due to injuries or diseases. The purpose of this study is to propose a sickness benefit scheme for South Korea. To this end, we compare health care systems, sickness benefit schemes, and delivery systems of those in Germany, Japan, and Sweden, focusing on the seven categories: management authority, object, level of payment, duration of payment, qualification requirements, connection with paid sick leave of workplace, and financial resources, and as to delivery system, the six categories: the number of procedures, transferring document between institutions, whether or not utilizing electronic reporting system, applicant, and administrative convenience. Based on the implications derived from the case study, we propose the sickness benefit scheme and its delivery pathway and other details for South Korea. This study is first to propose the sickness benefit for health insurance in Korea with its level of details. More studies should follow with case studies of other countries, as well as productive debates to build a feasible and sustainable sickness benefit system in South Korea.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.530-535
• /
• 2021

Background: Despite the lack of official COVID-19 statistics, various workplaces and occupations have been at the center of COVID-19 outbreaks. We aimed to compare legal measures and governance established for managing COVID-19 infection risks at workplaces in nine Asia and Pacific countries and to recommend key administrative measures. Methods: We collected information on legal measures and governance from both general citizens and workers regarding infection risks such as COVID-19 from industrial hygiene professionals in nine countries (Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) using a structured questionnaire. Results: A governmental body overseeing public health and welfare was in charge of containing the spread and occurrence of infectious diseases under an infectious disease control and prevention act or another special act, although the name of the pertinent organizations and legislation vary among countries. Unlike in the case of other traditional hazards, there have been no specific articles or clauses describing the means of mitigating virus risk in the workplace that are legally required of employers, making it difficult to define the responsibilities of the employer. Each country maintains own legal systems regarding access to the duration, administration, and financing of paid sick leave. Many workers may not have access to paid sick leave even if it is legally guaranteed.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.19-38
• /
• 2018

This study is to examine the transition of employment relations depending on labor reform by U Thein Sein Government(2011~2015) in company level and implemented literature review and interview. The results of this study are as follow. According to contents of the legislative amendment pursued by U Thein Sein government, there were some changes in employment relations as the use of standard labor contract, the application of paid holidays, easy use of vacations/sick leave and the establishment of trade unions. But, after the adoption of the minimum wage system, there was not change in the employment relations to such an extent as to have a significant impact on the live of the laborers. So it is expected that development of the trade union representing laborers in the future is able to take mutually beneficial employment relations.

• Journal of Industrial Convergence
• /
• v.21 no.10
• /
• pp.167-180
• /
• 2023

The aim of this study is to explore the factors that influence the health care utilization of disabled workers who returned to their original workplace after an occupational accident. The study sample consisted of 457 workers who suffered from occupational accidents and were rated as disabled based on the data from the PSWCI in 2021. Data analysis was performed using a hierarchical multiple regression analysis with SPSS WIN 26.0. The study findings revealed that the number of outpatient visits was affected by factors such as daily wage payment, economic status, physical activity limitations, subjective health status, and chronic diseases. Moreover, health care expenditures were determined by factors such as having a caregiver for daily living, burn injuries, and physical activity limitations. Therefore, to increase the accessibility of health care utilization for disabled workers, the role of nurses in the workplace should be expanded, employers should include a health care utilization plan when developing a return-to-work plan, and research on the introduction of a paid sick leave system that allows workers to rest when they are sick is needed. It is also necessary to alleviate the economic burden by increasing the coverage of benefits for burn and rehabilitation treatments.