FKI "Working Hours Reform Expected to Improve Work Efficiency and Productivity"

The government’s decision to reform the system to allow choosing between a maximum weekly working hour of 69 hours or 64 hours was met with expectations from the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) for improved work efficiency and worker productivity.

On the 6th, the FKI issued a statement under the name of Choo Kwang-ho, head of the Economic Headquarters, saying, "With this reform plan as an opportunity, companies will be able to respond flexibly according to the demands of industrial sites, and an environment where workers can improve their quality of life can be created." In particular, they added that the introduction of the 64-hour weekly cap to compensate for the drawback of granting 11 consecutive hours of rest during extended work, and the introduction of the working hours savings account system, are desirable in terms of expanding autonomy in choosing working hours.

However, they expressed regret regarding the reduction of total working hours when extending the unit of overtime work to quarterly or semiannual periods. The FKI stated, "There is a need for supplementation to preserve the purpose of working hours flexibility," and added, "We hope that the voices of industrial sites will be sufficiently reflected in future legislative discussions."