"Already Talking About Company Dinners..." Office Workers 'Worried' as Social Distancing Eases

From July, 'Gatherings of 6 People' Allowed... Social Distancing Eased
Office Workers "Worried About More Company Dinners"
Experts "Work Culture Changed by COVID-19... Company Dinners Should Be Limited"

Office workers are gathering at a restaurant for a company dinner. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Kim Mo (30), a 4-year office worker, is already worried about the upcoming July. Kim said, "Last year, I was secretly happy because we hardly had any company dinners due to COVID-19," adding, "Even though I don't like drinking, I often forced myself to drink to match the atmosphere during company dinners. Also, due to the nature of my job, company dinners happened frequently, which was stressful." He continued, "As company dinners decreased, I was able to enjoy my hobbies like exercising, which improved my quality of life. However, with the news that social distancing will be eased next month, my department is already talking about 'let's have a company dinner,' and I'm worried that life without personal time like before will return."

With the easing of social distancing guidelines starting next month, there are concerned voices among office workers about whether the company dinner culture will resume. Last year, company dinners gradually decreased as private gatherings of five or more people were banned due to the COVID-19 situation, but with the application of eased distancing guidelines from next month, there are concerns that the old 'drink as much as you can' style company dinner culture might be revived.

Especially, the younger generation worries that frequent company dinners will reduce their personal time and insists that the company dinner culture needs to change. Experts suggest that since workplace culture has changed due to COVID-19, company dinners should also be restrained.

Recently, health authorities announced that a new social distancing system with eased measures will be implemented from the 1st of next month. As a result, in the metropolitan area, gatherings of up to six people will be allowed from the 1st to the 14th of next month. After the 15th, gatherings of up to eight people will be permitted. The operating hours of multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes, which were limited to 10 p.m., will be extended to midnight.

Office workers expressed concerns about the resumption of company dinners due to these measures. Jung Mo (29), an office worker at an advertising company, said, "I feel good that daily life is gradually recovering with this measure," but added, "Company dinners at work are still a burden."

He said, "Thanks to the reduction in company dinners last year, I was able to focus on self-development, such as studying English, which I had postponed. However, I'm worried that with the easing of distancing, company dinners will increase again like before," adding, "I hope people understand that company dinners are an extension of work."

Citizens are hurrying on their way to work. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Like Jung, there are quite a few who do not support company dinners at work. According to a survey conducted by the employment platform JobKorea targeting 1,424 office workers, when asked "What would you like to maintain even after the end of COVID-19?", 44.9% of respondents in their 20s and 30s chose "restraining company dinners and workshops." Among respondents in their 40s and 50s, only 31.7% chose this.

Some express concerns that various gatherings such as company dinners could break the hard-won front line of quarantine. One netizen said, "Eased distancing measures will definitely help self-employed people, but I'm worried that the number of confirmed cases will rise again because of this," adding, "With cases not decreasing much, easing distancing seems premature."

On the other hand, there are opinions that company dinners can promote team unity. Na Mo (26), an office worker who has been employed for three months, said, "I haven't had much time to build friendships with colleagues and seniors since I just joined the company," adding, "Some colleagues even work remotely, so there are people I haven't seen properly." He continued, "Because we are not close, there is no sense of belonging at work," and added, "I want to get closer to my colleagues through company dinners."

Experts point out that frequent company dinners can be a burden for young people who value personal time. Professor Kwak Geumju of Seoul National University's Department of Psychology said, "In the past, participating in company dinners was seen as showing loyalty to the organization," but "for young people who value 'work-life balance' (Wolabal), company dinners can feel like invisible social pressure."

She added, "Especially with the changes in workplace culture due to COVID-19, workers' aversion to company dinners has grown," emphasizing, "Companies need to reflect employees' opinions and refrain from holding company dinners."