A 20-day Rotational Unpaid Leave
Asiana Airlines is reportedly considering implementing a 20-day unpaid leave program for all employees including administrative staff, flight attendants, cabin crew, and maintenance workers.
The company is planning to send all employees on rotational unpaid leave. All Asiana Airlines employees are already taking 10 days off in March sequentially without receiving their pays.
If the 20-days unpaid leave program goes into force this time, employees will virtually receive no monthly salary in March.
In particular, Asiana Airline told its employees that it would continue to recommend unpaid leave even after May, if the COVID-19 crisis is prolonged. The company is in stark contrast to Korean Air that is accepting applications for unpaid leave only from foreign pilots and cabin crew members with more than 2 years in service.
The aviation industry is eligible to special employment support from the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Earlier, the ministry significantly strengthened support for four vulnerable industries — travel, tourism and lodging, tourist transportation and performance. It covers up to 90 percent of suspension and leave allowances for six months. Most low-cost carriers are implementing paid leave programs with the ministry’s support for employment maintenance. Even though LCC employees are off work, they are guaranteed 70 percent of the average wages. Asiana Airlines employees cannot benefit from this if the company sends them on unpaid leave.