Labor advisory group supports adjustments to 52-hour workweek

Economy

Published: 17 Oct. 2022, 17:21

Labor advisory group supports adjustments to 52-hour workweek

A 12 member of experts on labor formed by President Yoon Suk-yeol holding its firts meeting in July in Seoul. [YONHAP]

Labor regulations should be relaxed, especially the capping of the workweek at 52 hours, according to a group assembled by the president.

The Future Labor Market Society, headed by Sookmyung Women’s University business management professor Kwon Soon-won, released its findings outlining a general framework for the administration’s labor policies.

It noted the need to increase autonomy of workers to prevent side effects caused by rigid and unilaterally applied labor policies and to increase the choices that workers can make.

The president’s advisory group concluded that companies and workers agree that the 52-hour workweek requirement, first adopted in 2019, should continue.

Some workers said that the number of working hours should be averaged by the month instead of being a strict weekly cap, according to the group.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has voiced concerns about companies being overloaded during peak season, especially small companies. Some smaller companies have to turn down business during particularly busy weeks, or they have to hire quickly to deal with staff shortages.

Current regulations do not give employees the right to make choices on their own about their preferred hours of work.

Kwon said the advisory group is currently working on final guidelines, with the goal of expanding flexibility within the bounds of the 52-hour cap.

The advisory group also raised the need to change the wage system, which is currently based on the number of years of employment.

Companies have been arguing that current wage system is inefficient, as payment have to be made regardless of performance.

The advisory group proposed a wage system based on work performance evaluations.

It also argued that regulations need to change with as the business environment changes with technology.

The group said there is a limit to one-size-fits-all regulations for labor given the increasing diversity of jobs and the way people work.

The Future Labor Market Society, which was formed on July 18, is an advisory group created by Yoon. It has a total of 12 of people with backgrounds in labor law, personnel and organization management, social welfare and health. They conducted a survey of 67 companies, including IT companies, public institutions and small companies.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]