Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Gains Attention with 40 Customized Employee Welfare Benefits

Disregarding Job Responsibilities, Various Welfare Benefits Discovered for Dedicated Employees... From Filial Piety Leave to Direct Communication Bell, Over 40 Diverse and Detailed Welfare Programs Established... Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, "We Will Create a Better Work Environment to Reward Employees' Hard Work"

Park Gang-su, the mayor of Mapo District, is gaining attention for his endless love for his employees.

Mayor Park is implementing various welfare projects to boost employees' work motivation, encourage their hard work, and create a better working environment.

Although the workload seemed to decrease as daily life normalized after COVID-19, Mapo District employees actually went through a difficult period due to supporting the Jamboree participants, hosting the closing ceremony of the Sangam World Cup Stadium, the Seoul Metropolitan Government's forced construction of an additional waste incineration plant in Mapo District, and the gathering of 100,000 people in Hongdae on Halloween Day.

In response, regardless of the scope of duties, he discovered welfare projects from the employees' perspective to encourage those who devoted themselves day and night.

The employee welfare projects promoted by the 8th elected Mapo District administration are diverse and numerous, totaling about 40 projects, including 14 projects scheduled for implementation in 2024.

Representative welfare projects of the district include ▲Filial Leave ▲Direct Communication Bell (Jikgu Sotong Bell) ▲Self-Development Leave ▲Welfare Points for Newly Appointed Employees ▲Psychological Counseling Support ▲Expansion of Award Recipients ▲Support for Club Instructor Fees ▲Creation of Employee Rest Areas ▲Pain Treatment and Nutrition Counseling ▲Special Birthday Leave, among others.

In particular, the Filial Leave, which can be used without worrying about others’ eyes as a vacation with parents, and the long-term service leave extended to employees with more than 5 but less than 10 years of service, have received enthusiastic responses from employees.

Careful welfare measures have also been provided for emotional labor employees struggling with malicious complaints. To protect employees exposed to abnormal crimes and verbal abuse due to open office spaces and public service duties, the district supports wearable cameras and offers psychological counseling and healing programs so that stressed employees can achieve mental stability, healing, and recharge.

Furthermore, the district considered the needs of all employees to ensure no one is left out of welfare improvements. To provide promotion opportunities for minority job categories such as social welfare, taxation, and driving, the district resolved promotion bottlenecks through staffing adjustments. Additionally, to improve convenience for disabled and childcare employees who might otherwise be overlooked, the district extensively upgraded facilities such as disabled restrooms and workplace daycare centers.

Recently, to understand employees’ difficulties and strengthen mutual communication, the district implemented the ‘Direct Communication Bell (Jikgu Sotong Bell),’ where employees and the mayor communicate openly. The Jikgu Sotong Bell means ‘direct communication between employees and the mayor,’ allowing conversations on all topics including personnel, welfare, and daily life. In fact, on the 1st of this month, newly appointed public officials who applied for the Jikgu Sotong Bell had lunch with the mayor and shared conversations about public service life and life experiences.

Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo District, said, “Thanks to employees who took the initiative and worked hard for the residents beyond their own duties, we were able to create a safe and healthy Mapo.” He added, “To repay the dedication and efforts of our employees, we will continue to discover various welfare projects to create a better working environment.”