육아휴직 이후 무슨 일이 있었을까? : 젠더효과와 고용유지를 중심으로 본 심층면접 분석

Parental leave for child care in Korea introduced in 1987 has kept elaborated in ways that both women and men can apply for it, and its duration and scope have been expanded. As a result, the Korean policy for parental leave appears to be substantially generous and gender-equal. However, how and by whom it has been utilized remain explained: the gap between policy and reality; and the gender disparity in utilizing the leaves persistent. This study pursues in-depth interviews of twelve interviewees who took parental leave and examined their leave experiences, focusing on the gender effects and continuing employment after the leave Firstly, as for the accessibility to leave and its duration, this study finds that women(mothers) tended to be more extended leave than men(fathers). Moreover, men’s having the leave tended to be “subsidiary to” the mothers leave when the mothers could no more applications for the leave. Secondly, as for the ‘stigmatization’ of the returnee from the leave workers, it is not very discernible at the large workplace in the public sector. In contrast, the returnee seems to be more stigmatized at the private company and the professional workplace such as hospitals and law firms. Thirdly, many male interviewees see their leave experiences rather positively as it was a chance to form and experience the intimate paternal relationship with the child(ren). Whereas women tended to have “ambivalence” about the leave since it was positive for their child(ren) and themselves, they still feel the overburdened maternal responsibility. This research finds that the “effects” of parental leave are very much “gendered” in the context of the workplace, family, and society at large, whereas the policy itself looks gender-neutral. Therefore, policy design needs to go in the direction of accepting such gendered phenomena. It also suggests that parental leave should not be the final and only solution for the work-family balance in gender-equal ways. The state and companies must set the principles that entire workers are the citizens who ought to enjoy the rights and duties of reproductive activities.