'Making the Workplace Happy and Rewarding'... Nowon-gu Takes Bold Steps to Improve Employee Working Conditions

Comprehensive Measures Covering Work Environment, Service, Self-Development and Healing, and Welfare
Supporting Work-Family Balance for Parenting Public Officials by Eliminating Concerns of Discrimination in Promotion and Assignment from Pregnancy to Postpartum
Efforts to Create a Public Service Environment Where Pride Can Be Felt Before Imposing a Sense of Duty

Nowon-gu, Seoul (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has established comprehensive 'work-life balance' improvement measures to boost the morale of its public officials.

The working conditions of public officials, who suffer from low wage levels, decreased self-esteem due to malicious civil complaints, increasing and diverse administrative demands, and a surge in workload caused by frequent emergency duties, are a nationwide concern. According to the Government Employees Pension Service, the number of public officials retiring within three years of service has surged from 5,166 in 2018 to 12,076 in 2022.

The district has prepared a comprehensive plan that thoroughly reviews the overall working environment, service, training, and welfare benefits as an extension of improving employee healing services such as providing psychological counseling and expanding special leave, so that employees can genuinely feel the effects.

The improvement measures cover all aspects of work, including ▲office environment improvement ▲treatment improvement for pregnant and childcare public officials ▲support for enhancing work-life balance ▲expansion of self-development opportunities ▲strengthening welfare systems.

First, regarding the office environment, following the maintenance of the fitness center and rest area last year, this year the district is promoting rooftop greening and securing rest spaces. Previously, the lobby remodeling on the first floor of the district office, which improved the environment to a hotel lobby level, received high praise from both employees and civil petitioners. Recently, the 6th-floor auditorium and common areas of Nowon-gu Office were remodeled. In particular, through the improvement of the 6th-floor space in May, a rest lounge was created where employees can relax or hold meetings in a comfortable atmosphere. Along with the ongoing rooftop greening project, an employee-only rest area with views of Bukhansan and Suraksan mountains is being established. The district plans to enable comfortable and refreshing spaces for work, meetings, and rest during the phased remodeling of the district office, health centers, and community service centers in the future.

Efforts are also being made to protect civil complaint handling public officials, which has recently become a major issue in the local government public official community. Since the enactment of the 'Ordinance for the Protection of Civil Complaint Handling Public Officials' in 2022, security guards deployed in some community service centers have been deemed effective, and their deployment is being expanded to community offices, health centers, and each floor of the district office. Additionally, by subscribing to liability insurance for work-related accidents, public officials can actively perform their duties without the burden of civil and criminal compensation liabilities.

More innovative measures have been prepared to improve the treatment of childcare public officials who face difficulties balancing work and family. Plans include ensuring no disadvantages in job assignments after returning to work, from pregnancy and childbirth to infant care.

Pregnant employees will receive health vouchers to attend pregnancy-specialized swimming programs and a childbirth congratulatory allowance. The 'childbirth bonus for female public officials,' uniquely operated among autonomous districts, will be expanded to include male public officials whose spouses have given birth.

Flexible working hours and self-development opportunities will also be expanded. Following the introduction of 'one day of birthday leave and birthday gifts' this year, the district will grant 'two days of vacation during winter and summer intensive vacation periods' and 'three days of healing leave' to employees with 3 to 5 years of service who cannot take long-term service leave. Furthermore, to improve work productivity and achievement through autonomous experiential training, support has been extended to include book reading, field experience activities, and department-level sports events.

The district operates an anonymous 'Communication Channel with the Mayor' to allow direct communication between the mayor and frontline employees to improve workplace injustices and difficulties encountered during work. A district official stated that the recent improvement measures also reflect the active will and numerous ideas of Mayor Oh Seung-rok, who recognized employees' grievances through this communication channel.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok of Nowon-gu said, “Public officials who are happy and fulfilled at work can satisfy the residents, so I believe that residents will welcome support systems that allow our public officials to work with confidence,” adding, “As a member of the district office, I will carefully consider the difficulties of my fellow employees and work to improve the working environment to be healthy and bright.”