[Editorial] Smoothly fixing the rigid 52-hour workweek

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has proposed to sharply overhaul the statutory 52-hour workweek rule by allowing flexibility in the enforcement of the uniform regulation determined by the liberal Moon Jae-in administration. While keeping the 52-hour workweek framework, the Yoon administration suggests to stretch the workweek to maximum 69 hours on condition of compensating the longer work hours with a cut in work hours and a lengthy holiday later. In short, the conservative government is giving employers and workers the freedom to choose intensive work during busy periods and rest during idle periods.

Specifically, while respecting the 52-hour workweek (40 basic hours and 12 extended hours) framework, the management and union can discuss and set extended hours by monthly, quarterly, six-monthly, or on an annual basis. The arrangement can enable a maximum 69-hour workweek during the peak season and a 40-hour workweek during the slow season.

The government outline expands the choices for employers and employees. Workers can save their overtime and weekend or holiday work in their personal work account and use them for breaks. The right to choose working hours and days to suit the workers can be applied to all industries for three months (expanded from the current 1 month) and for six months for R&D workers (up from the current three months.) Under the new arrangement, working from anywhere — and for four days — is possible.

The 52-hour workweek was executed under the past Moon administration in 2018 to raise living standards and ease heavy working conditions. But its uniform enforcement rather helped lower real income for workers and aggravate business conditions for small and mid-sized companies.

The rigid regulation failed to reflect the changes in the industrial paradigm. According to a recent survey by the Federation of Korean Industries, 57 percent of workers in their 20s and 30s found the regulation unsuitable for the fourth industrial age.

The government claims that it has come up with multiple protections so that the flexibility in work hours does not damage workers’ health or welfare. Still, it failed to reflect labor experts’ recommendation that the government ensure an 11-hour rest for workers after their extended work.

Given the low income and job insecurity in small workplaces, whether the protections will be well activated cannot be certain. The Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the second largest umbrella union after the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, condemned the change to the work hour rule, as it will “help legitimize the longer work from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. for five days.” During a review process at the legislature, the revision should be supplemented to better address workers’ welfare.