"Did You Go to Work on Monday?"... "We All Played"

The Number of Companies Applying Joint Annual Leave Increases

The so-called 'sandwich holiday' (or 'bridge holiday'), where a weekday falls between two holidays. Many companies encourage employees to use their annual leave during this period. The number of companies where all employees take annual leave during the sandwich holiday and rest comfortably is also increasing.

On Monday, the 5th, all Kolon Group employees did not go to work and rested until the Memorial Day on the 6th. They enjoyed a four-day holiday from Saturday the 3rd. The company and employees agreed in advance for all employees to take annual leave. This is called the 'joint annual leave system.'

Every year at the beginning of the year, the company announces the days when all employees will take joint annual leave, such as during sandwich holidays. A Kolon representative said, "To promote the use of annual leave and allow executives and employees to rest fully, we implement group holidays during bridge holidays."

On the 5th, during the Memorial Day holiday, citizens visiting the Nabi Garden in Bulamsan, Nowon-gu, Seoul, are enjoying their outing. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

There is no system called joint annual leave under the Labor Standards Act. Basically, annual leave is taken when the employee wishes, so the company cannot force it. However, according to Article 62 of the Labor Standards Act, the employer can, through a written agreement with the employee representative, substitute paid annual leave days and give employees a day off on specific working days. In other words, if labor and management agree, the entire company can rest fully during the bridge holiday.

Both labor and management are highly satisfied with this joint annual leave. An employee at Kolon said, "If only some people rest during the bridge holiday, you have to watch who is resting and who is working, but if everyone takes annual leave together, it feels comfortable." He also explained, "Since it can be known in advance, it is possible to plan overseas trips months ahead, so everyone likes it." From the company's perspective, since the annual leave will be used anyway, using it on days when work efficiency is low is not a problem.

Doosan Group, S-Oil, and Lotte Chemical also had all employees take annual leave on the 5th. Lotte Chemical introduced 'Work-Life Balance Day,' where the entire company rests during the bridge holiday. Employees can also add a day of annual leave before or after holidays. Hyosung and Kumho Petrochemical were also off. Except for factory shift teams, the entire company rested.

Hanwha affiliates such as Hanwha Construction, Hanwha Galleria, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Solutions have also introduced and are operating joint annual leave. Renault Korea also had factory and research institute employees jointly use paid leave on the 5th.

The four major conglomerates do not use joint annual leave but actively encourage the use of annual leave. Samsung employees set their annual vacation plans in advance. Once the vacation plan is approved at the beginning of the year, no additional approval is needed for those days. It is explained that employees can take as much leave as they want during the bridge holiday.

SK, Hyundai Motor, and LG also allow employees to freely use annual leave when necessary. However, some employees say, "Since it is not a full company holiday, and someone has to come to work, it is not easy to take annual leave freely."

An industry insider explained, "Companies encourage annual leave so that employees can balance work and family," adding, "Taking sufficient rest increases work concentration and productivity."