Changes in the calculation method of the insured period (effective as of August 1, 2020)
Employees whose standard work hours are 20 or more and expected to be employed for at least 31 days are entitled to the employment insurance.
However, there were cases where a part of employed period was not included in the insured period, e.g., if a worker who satisfies the employment insurance conditions did not work the expected number of days due to a leave of absence or other reasons, or if an insured part-time employee’s regular working schedule is two or three days a week.
With the latest amendment, work hours will be taken into consideration in a complementary manner, in addition to the number of days worked, in determining the insured period. This is applicable to workers whose date of separation from employment is August 1, 2020, or later.
Even if the condition, “the number of days based on which the wage was paid is 11 or more,” is not satisfied, such month will be included in the insured period, if the total work hours is 80 or more.
Reduction in the period when benefit payment is withheld from three months to two months (Effective as of October 1, 2020)
Workers who left employment may receive placement services and obtain recipient qualification for unemployment benefits at “Hello Work” Employment Service Center. As a rule, the payment of basic allowance (unemployment benefit) starts after seven days of “waiting period,” but in the case of workers who left job for personal reasons or punitive dismissal, the payment is withheld for a longer period. This additional period is called a “period of restriction on benefits”.
For insured workers who have resigned voluntarily without justifiable reason, the period of restriction on benefits used to be three months. With the latest amendment, which took effect on October 1, 2020, the period can be reduced to two months up to twice in a five-year period.
In the case of dismissal due to significant cause attributable to the insured worker, such as punitive dismissal, the restriction period remains three months. There is no restriction on benefits for workers who have been dismissed due to the employers’ reasons (“specific qualified recipients”) or under other justifiable circumstances.
