The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Korean election day: 2 in 10 work, 30% of them lack overtime pay or leave

By No Kyung-min

Published : April 5, 2024 - 15:44

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As many as 30 percent of Koreans who are working on next week's parliamentary election on April 10 are unlikely to be compensated with overtime pay or paid leave, according to a survey released Friday.

A survey of 901 employees by job search website Incruit in April found that 17.3 percent reported having work obligations on the upcoming national election holiday, while 31.4 percent of them said their companies did not offer any compensation, either in the form of extra pay or vacation time.

When asked if they intended to request any form of compensation, only 10.2 percent of them responded affirmatively, whereas nearly 60 percent expressed skepticism that their companies would even address their concerns.

Approximately half of those working during the holiday stated they were entitled to overtime payments or compensatory time off, although 19.9 percent remained uncertain about their company’s compensation policy.

For reasons for working on the holiday, 54.5 percent reported complying with their companies’ policy, while 16 percent cited responsibilities related to working with other business partners. Approximately 14 percent mentioned shift work or alternative work.

Under the revised Labor Standards Act since 2022, businesses with more than five employees are mandated to grant paid leave when their employees work on a national holiday. National election days are designated as public holidays in South Korea.