Most Office Workers Say "No Problem at All"
2% of Respondents Perceive It as 'Extension of Work'
Recently, there has been a heated debate among netizens regarding the use of company break times such as lunch hours. The controversy began with a story posted on a community site, where a netizen shared that they were scolded by their superior simply for going home during the company lunch break. What do office workers think about this?
On the 13th, SK Communications' current affairs poll service 'NateQ' conducted a survey of 11,204 adult men and women. The results showed that a whopping 87% (9,810 respondents) answered that "lunch break is a legal break time, so going home is absolutely not a problem," pointing out the unfairness of the superior's criticism.
On the 13th, SK Communications conducted a survey through its current affairs poll service 'NateQ' targeting 11,204 adult men and women. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Asia Economy]
On the other hand, 9% (1,052 respondents) of the total respondents said, "It's okay to go to places like hospitals or banks, but going home is a bit much." They expressed the opinion that some boundaries should be maintained during working hours from clock-in to clock-out. Additionally, 2% (297 respondents) of the total said that "lunch break should also be considered an extension of company work and should be spent together."
7% of those aged 60 and above say "Lunch break is also an extension of work"
Responses by generation also showed an overwhelming majority agreeing that going home during lunch break is not a problem. However, among respondents aged 60 and above, 7% answered that lunch break is also an extension of company work, revealing a generational perception gap in the workplace.
Most respondents who participated in the survey left opinions such as "Employees should be allowed to use lunch break autonomously as long as it does not interfere with company work," and "As long as they return within the allotted time, there is absolutely no problem," emphasizing that lunch break is a legitimate break time and that raising issues about it is inappropriate.
Some respondents also expressed views like "Am I an old-fashioned person for not understanding why people go home during lunch break?" and "I join lunch breaks because I’m afraid of disadvantages in personnel evaluations such as promotions or incentives if I don’t."
An Ji-seon, team leader of SK Comms Media Services, said, "Although society as a whole has shifted toward respecting personal time, it is regrettable that some perceptions of the older generation still remain." She added, "The older generation needs to shift their mindset to align with the changing society, including appropriate working hours and telecommuting, and listen to the voices of the younger generation calling for improvements in working conditions."
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