Young Koreans support flexible working hours

A metro carriage is full during rush hour at Noryangjin Station. [YONHAP]

Most young workers prefer to work more each day and get longer vacations, according to a recent survey.

They say that the current working-hour system, which caps work by a weekly total, is outdated.

Of 702 workers in their 20s and 30s surveyed, 57 percent said the current working hour policy, limiting weekly working hours to 52, is not appropriate for modern society, according to a report announced by the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) on Sunday. The survey on young people’s thoughts on working hours was carried out by Research & Research.

Of the 702, 55.1 percent think working hours and productivity are not related.

Under the condition of equal total working hours, 68.1 percent prefer to have the freedom to decide their own working hours depending on the workload. These people also think it is better to let people work at hours that they think are best for their concentration.

The statement that applying the same working hours for all employees is better for productivity is supported by 31.9 percent.

Of the 290 workers who have worked flexible working hours, 73.5 percent think the system benefits productivity and 70 percent said flexible hours reduced unnecessary overtime.

More people prefer to cram their work into fewer days to have more days off. Of those surveyed, 55.3 percent said they would rather work for four days and take three days off, while 44.7 percent prefer the eight-hours-day and five-days-a-week system.

Regarding the overtime policy, 60.1 percent want to work longer hours for more income and were open to overtime work. Others thought working hours need strict regulation to ensure breaks.

Of those surveyed, 576 support the government’s push for flexible working hours, with the most popular reason being the freedom to choose when to work and rest.

“Since many young people who will be towing the economy feel the need for more flexible working hours, it is necessary to reform the system to increase productivity and the quality of life,” said Choo Kwang-ho, the FKI’s economic research division head.

The Labor Ministry announced that it has issued a draft bill on reforming the labor law to allow people to work as many as 69 hours a week on Monday. The bill will be submitted to the National Assembly in June or July.

BY PARK HAE-LEE, SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]