Among the civil servants belonging to the Ministry of Personnel Management, those who are pregnant will be required to work from home for one day a week starting next month. They can go to the office from Monday to Thursday and work from home on Fridays, then rest on weekends. This arrangement can be used until the child turns 8 years old. The Ministry of Personnel Management explained that this allows civil servants to reduce their commuting time and spend more time with their families.
The Ministry of Personnel Management announced guidelines for three work innovations on the 31st. The goal is to create a family-friendly work environment, an organization culture based on autonomy and trust, and a digital work environment. This system will first be piloted for six months at the Ministry of Personnel Management, and if the results are verified, it plans to be expanded to other departments. Jeon Won-jeong, head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, noted, "We will transform the public sector into an organization that works flexibly and efficiently while achieving results."
◇Pregnancy → Work from home once a week until the child is 8 years old
Civil servants belonging to the Ministry of Personnel Management who are pregnant will be required to work from home one day a week starting next month. If they have a child under 8 years old, working from home is recommended. However, if there is frequent communication with colleagues or if it is difficult to handle work at home, they can exceptionally go to the office.
There are already local governments in Seoul, Daejeon, Chungnam, and Jeongseon, Gangwon, that allow a four-day work week. An official from the Ministry of Personnel Management said, "While it was already possible for pregnant civil servants to work from home, the atmosphere was not conducive to using it actively, so we made it mandatory for the central government for the first time." They added, "During busy seasons of the year, there are internal opinions that working in the office is convenient, so we provided the option to go to the office if they wish."
◇Eat lunch early… “I will leave work 30 minutes early”
Civil servants belonging to the Ministry of Personnel Management can shorten their lunch break by 30 minutes and leave work early by that amount. They will have lunch from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. and leave work at 5:30 p.m. Previously, there was a system that extended the lunch break to two hours and allowed for later departures, but since not many people utilized it, they strengthened flexible working by reducing the lunch break.
Working remotely from vacation spots such as Jeju and Busan is also encouraged. This arrangement, known as 'workation,' combines work and vacation. For example, one can work in a hotel or resort during the day, then finish work and have free time nearby. However, to work remotely, approval from the department head is required.
This has been evaluated as a system that allows for a balance between work, parenting, and relaxation while increasing work efficiency. However, there are responses that "considering the conservative culture in the public sector, one might feel self-conscious when actually using the system."
An official from the Ministry of Personnel Management said, "While there may be departments that cannot keep up with the changes in the public sector, if we establish the system and actively encourage it, the number of civil servants using it will gradually increase." They added, "Even now, with just a laptop, one can work from anywhere, making it possible to achieve results efficiently without investing as much time as before."