[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Major domestic companies in the IT and electronics sectors, such as Samsung and LG, have institutionalized a system allowing manufacturing plant production line employees to take summer vacations autonomously. This measure considers the interests of employees who prefer flexible vacation schedules, amid government recommendations to disperse the concentrated vacation period from late July to early August to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
According to industry sources on the 25th, Samsung Electronics did not set a concentrated vacation period this year at its Gumi smartphone manufacturing plant, allowing employees to choose their vacation schedules autonomously. Last year, Samsung Electronics' Gumi plant operated concentrated vacation periods twice, from June 22 to 26 and June 29 to July 3, and previously had two concentrated vacation periods from late July to early August.
A Samsung Electronics representative explained, "Regardless of government recommendations, the autonomous vacation system is operated based on the judgment of the workplace." The intention is to guarantee employees' autonomous use of vacation time.
On the other hand, due to the nature of manufacturing, some factories still suspend operations during specific periods and maintain concentrated vacation periods. Samsung Electronics' Gwangju plant, which produces home appliances, set its summer vacation period from August 9 to 11, as it did last year. During this time, production lines will stop operating, and facility maintenance work will be carried out.
LG Electronics is also considering introducing a flexible vacation system for production line workers at its manufacturing plants. Previously, instead of company-wide guidelines, vacation periods were designated according to conditions at each business site, such as Changwon, Pyeongtaek, and Incheon, mainly in the home appliance and automotive parts sectors, with summer vacations generally taken from late July to early August. An LG Electronics representative said, "Unlike administrative staff, production line workers must consider factory operation status, so concentrated vacation periods were used at each site. This year, we are reviewing plans to disperse vacations and allow autonomous use, but nothing has been concretely decided yet."
In divisions such as semiconductors and displays, where production lines operate 24 hours a day, a flexible vacation system has been in place for some time. Samsung Electronics semiconductor production line employees, working in a four-team, three-shift system, can freely choose their vacation within the scope of their annual leave at the discretion of the workplace. Samsung Display also allows production line shift workers to use vacation considering their work schedules. LG Display stated, "Even before COVID-19, employees have been using summer vacations autonomously."
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