NEC staff take leave in surges during elections, drawing sharp criticism

Claims that National Election Commission employees concentrate their parental leave during election periods have sparked public debate.

A post titled "Civil servants' parental leave" appeared on the online community Bobae Dream on Tuesday. The author, identified only as A, said NEC employees take parental leave far more often in election years, suggesting the leave is used to avoid work rather than for child-rearing. The post also cited cases of some teachers taking parental leave just before winter break to avoid homeroom assignments, then returning to work after class rosters are finalized.

Online commenters said leave entitlements must be protected but that staffing measures — such as hiring additional workers or deploying seconded personnel — should accompany any leave that creates operational gaps. At the same time, they cautioned against treating parental leave itself as a problem based on a handful of cases.

The criticism is backed by figures. Data submitted to People Power Party lawmaker Kim Seung-su by the NEC on Monday showed that as of May — one month before the local elections — 181 NEC employees were on leave, roughly 6 percent of the agency's total workforce of 3,034.

That figure was up 22 percent from 148 at the end of last December, a rise of 33 people in five months. During the June 3 local elections, when the ballot shortage crisis unfolded, 179 employees were reportedly on leave.

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said on Facebook on Sunday that official statistics confirm a surge in NEC staff taking leave whenever an election approaches. The number of NEC employees on leave stood at 84 in February 2021, a non-election year, but more than doubled to 226 in June 2022, when a presidential election and local elections were held in the same year.

Han said he plans to introduce an amendment to the Board of Audit and Inspection Act as his first legislative priority, allowing the Board of Audit and Inspection to conduct performance audits of the NEC. "The NEC has become an untouchable sanctuary beyond any oversight, to the point where even the basics of election administration are under threat," he said.

As his second legislative priority, Han said he would pursue a bill restricting NEC employees' use of vacation and leave to levels comparable to those in the private sector.

"Even in private workplaces, employers can adjust the timing of workers' leave during operationally critical periods," Han said. He criticized the NEC for allowing staff to concentrate their leave around major elections, noting that the Labor Standards Act does not directly apply to the agency.

The NEC has previously opposed similar amendment proposals, citing constitutional concerns. As a constitutionally independent body, it has argued that performance audits by the Board of Audit and Inspection could constrain its constitutional duties, and that audit involvement in the electoral process could undermine public trust.

지하철 ‘임산부 배려석’ 자리 양보 요청하자…“권리 아니다” 끝까지 버틴 남성

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