Nearly half of Korean workers asked to work while on leave: Survey
Of the 48.8 percent of 1,000 employed adults who had received work-related calls or texts during vacation, 37.7 percent stated that they had accepted the requests and worked from home or another location.
Workers take a rest at Yeouido Hangang Park in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on May 18.
YONHAP
Nearly half of Korean workers said that they worked while on vacation at their workplace’s request, according to a survey released on Sunday.
Commissioned by civic group Gapjil 119, which advocates for workers’ rights and workplace reform, and conducted by the polling agency Global Research, the poll found that 48.8 percent of 1,000 employed adults surveyed nationwide had received work-related calls or texts during vacation.
The survey was conducted on workers aged 19 or older from June 1 to 9.
Of the total, 37.7 percent stated that they had accepted the requests immediately and worked from home, a cafe or another location, and 15.8 percent accepted the requests and returned to the office or work site.
Work-related interruptions during vacations were more common for higher-income and senior employees, with the share rising to 69.8 percent among managers, 61.2 percent among workers earning at least 5 million won ($3,500) a month and 57.1 percent among employees with at least five years of service.
Only 15.8 percent indicated that they informed their workplace that they were on vacation and did not comply with the requests.
The civic group said that it has received reports from employees about repeated demands from their employers while they were on leave.
“A team manager repeatedly instructed me through a messaging app to upload documents when I was on vacation,” one worker said.
“After the company aggressively reduced its work force, we were pressured to respond to work-related requests and attend meetings even while on leave,” said another.
Despite continued concerns over violations of workers’ right to rest, proposed amendments to the Labor Standards Act — which would restrict employers from contacting employees about work by phone call or text message outside of working hours — have remained pending in the National Assembly since being introduced in July and September 2024.
“Contacting employees about work during vacations or after working hours violates their right to rest and amounts to unpaid labor,” said Jeong Hee-seong, a labor attorney with the civic group.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
