Holding a Meeting of the Work-Life Balance Committee... Discussing Challenges in Substitute Workforce Improvement

Listening to On-site Opinions to Enhance Substitute Workforce Effectiveness

The Committee on Work-Life Balance under the Presidential Committee on Economic, Social and Labor Affairs held the 1st on-site stakeholders meeting on the 15th at the Gyeongsanowi conference room in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

This meeting was held to hear on-site opinions by meeting with small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers and field workers in the process of improving working methods and preparing measures to balance work and childcare to overcome low birth rates.

Yonhap News

At the event, discussions focused on the difficulties and improvement measures in securing substitute personnel for SMEs when utilizing work-childcare balance systems. The session also included remarks from field workers and representatives from the Workers Counseling Center to examine grievances such as disadvantages in personnel matters after returning to work.

Lee Jeong-mi, an HR labor manager at Mokoko Co., Ltd., said, "It is difficult to recruit substitute personnel, causing increased workload and dissatisfaction among department members," adding, "It would be good to have measures such as utilizing experienced elderly workers as substitutes."

Yoon Sun-hee, deputy manager at JENIEL Co., Ltd., which operates the Substitute Personnel Talent Bank, explained, "The job requirements for substitute personnel are high, making it difficult to match job seekers, and there is a negative perception of the term 'substitute personnel,' so job seekers are not very active," adding, "It is necessary to consider providing employment incentives when substitute personnel leave after their contract ends."

Um Sun-young, a nurse at Inha University Hospital, shared, "After returning from leave, changes in work type or lack of guaranteed workplace make it difficult to return," and expressed the opinion, "It would be good to establish personnel evaluation regulations to prevent disadvantages after returning."

Kim Moon-jung, director of the Seoul Southwest Workplace Mom Support Center, proposed, "There is a need to establish regulations under Article 74 of the Labor Standards Act that prohibit dismissal or other unfavorable treatment due to maternity leave."

Oh Yoo-jin, director of the Suwon Women Workers Welfare Center, pointed out, "There are frequent illegal cases where severance pay is exchanged for childcare leave," and suggested, "There is a need to introduce an 'automatic childcare leave system' so that workers can balance work and childcare without feeling pressured."

Gwon Ki-seop, chairman of Gyeongsanowi, said, "To overcome low birth rates, it is necessary for childcare workers to freely choose working hours proactively, and for employers to avoid difficulties due to productivity decline by resolving difficulties in utilizing substitute personnel and transforming working methods," adding, "We will continue to collect vivid on-site opinions from labor and management and strive to provide practical help to working citizens."