South Korea Proposing a 69-Hour Work Week

GG57 on 14/03/2023 - 16:38

Following on from this discussion: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/758790

ABC is reporting that South Korea's government is seeking to pass reforms that would allow employees to work up to 69 hours a week.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-14/south-korea-69-hour-w…

I found the reasoning surprising; the proposal is to address concerns over the country's falling birth rate. Apparently workers would be able to accrue overtime and use it later when they want to take time off for child-raising.

My observations from working for a couple of weeks in Seoul was that not a lot of work happened in the office environment I was in (compared to working for the same company in Australia). Not relaxed as such, but not a lot of output.

Education & Work

Comments

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 14/03/2023 - 16:41
    +73

    69

    nice

    • Muzeeb on 14/03/2023 - 17:08
      +12

      Free mouthwash also for everyone at the end of the week.

      • Gunnar on 14/03/2023 - 17:24
        +1

        I wonder if there will be a push to increase the country’s ATMs?

        • Kangal on 16/03/2023 - 15:05
          -3

          ATM ?
          From the bum to the yum, bum yum bum yum bum full of cum

    • Yummy on 14/03/2023 - 17:42
      +3

      One for hot dog and another for oyster.

      DIY add mayo.

    • DashCam AKA Rolts on 14/03/2023 - 18:56
      +1

      4 day week, 20hs/day = 420

    • DASHCAM NOW DUDE on 14/03/2023 - 19:37

      nice but not nice

      • windrc on 16/03/2023 - 13:40
        +1

        noice

    • kiitos on 15/03/2023 - 18:09
      +7

      But ironically doesn't help the birth rate.

    • easternculture on 16/03/2023 - 14:04

      allow employees to work up to 69 hours a week.

      Only if you work for pornhub or onlyfans

    • BuDWiZe on 16/03/2023 - 21:15
      +1

      Yep there is a happy ending

  • ThithLord on 14/03/2023 - 16:41
    +10

    Pretty damn horrible, have to agree. Strong labour laws are welcome

    • EightImmortals on 14/03/2023 - 17:22

      What's a seven letter word starting with 's'?

      • ThithLord on 15/03/2023 - 09:31
        +3

        No, what starts with a w

      • afah0447 on 16/03/2023 - 17:19
        +1

        Slavery…? Nah, that went out the window years again. Now it's 'make as much profit as you can for us or you're on the streets and you'll starve'. Rest assured Pharaohs are still around, they just treat their slaves bad enough to keep them productive for profit.

  • pharkurnell on 14/03/2023 - 16:41
    -3

    I don't care.

    HTH
    YMMV.

    • Gnostikos on 16/03/2023 - 13:40

      I don't care.

      You love it?

      • pharkurnell on 16/03/2023 - 14:24

        I dont care about what happens there.

        • beefmaster on 16/03/2023 - 18:51
          +4

          Obvious care enough to comment.

          You never know, Australia sometime review and adopt policies implemented by other country. Australia may one day increase the work hours and retirement age which will affect you.

        • Gnostikos on 16/03/2023 - 20:50
          +1

          I dont care about what happens there.

          KFC diplomacy.

          "I don't care, I love it…"

  • Kail on 14/03/2023 - 16:48
    +28

    Burnt out workers are unproductive workers.
    Increasing their hours is unlikely to increase productivity at these numbers.

    • TEER3X on 14/03/2023 - 17:00
      -2

      Most people where I work do at least 50 hours/w, they don't get burnt out either.

      It depends on the work of course.

      Higher mortgage repayments (mostly due to high house prices) means this will be a more common thing. It's better for government coffers anyway.

      • djkelly69 on 14/03/2023 - 17:18
        +15

        Higher mortgage repayments (mostly due to high house prices) means this will be a more common thing.

        That assumes you get paid overtime/time in lieu for the additional hours you do, which not everyone does.

      • EightImmortals on 14/03/2023 - 17:23
        +2

        "It's better for government ….."

        Seems to be the justification for most things these days.

        • TEER3X on 14/03/2023 - 19:40

          I'm not sure it's just. It's just what they are doing, working us to the bone

        • macrocephalic on 16/03/2023 - 10:44
          +3

          Which is stupid as "the government" is supposed to just be a condensed group of people who represent the population. They are not supposed to be some upper class, they are public servants.

          • EightImmortals on 16/03/2023 - 11:02

            @macrocephalic: 'should be' and 'is' are two completely different things in this case.

          • Thaal Sinestro on 16/03/2023 - 12:16
            +1

            @macrocephalic: Public servants are the lucky ones, the Brahmin left elite (along with University employees). They serve themselves and their ideology, not the common people (whom they despise).

          • leiiv on 17/03/2023 - 03:08
            +1

            @macrocephalic: In reality, they are public servant of the upper class.

      • Chandler on 16/03/2023 - 13:20

        Most people where I work do at least 50 hours/w

        They're generally also only getting paid for 38 hours/w, nor accruing any TOIL.

        At least in South Korea's case, the excess hours in the 69-hour week would be accruing TOIL.

        • crentist on 17/03/2023 - 04:48

          I worked in Japan for a few years. My salary included "extra" for assumed overtime, whether I did any or not. No benefit to me if I did.
          This seemed to be common, making it standard pay for standard work, and a way for companies to bake in higher expectations, whether or not they pay for it.
          I'm not familiar with Korea, but I expect the idea is pretty much the same.

          The unexpected side of all this, at least in Japan, is that it seemed to be kinda a result of strong labour law enforcement. So while I was contractually obliged to work ~60hrs/week if needed, they were also very aware and upfront about their own obligation to pay overtime for anything beyond that.
          It's basically as if all those Aus companies getting 50hrs out of 38hr contracts were actually scared of FairWork coming after them, but also allowed to change the contract to "50 hours" to keep it the same.

          The silly thing was that I hardly ever did overtime. Barely did 40hrs. It was a good job at a good company with good treatment. But they were legally allowed to be dicks if they wanted to

      • Jugganautx on 17/03/2023 - 05:07

        There's no point trying to reason with people that haven't ever worked more than 42hrs/week without a 30% payrise.

    • CowFrogHorse on 16/03/2023 - 17:20

      This is the modern american corporate mentality. Everything is about profits today and they dont care if they destroy everything including people and have nothing tomorrow.

  • bobbified on 14/03/2023 - 16:50
    +7

    …not a lot of work happened in the office environment I was in (compared to working for the same company in Australia).

    Over there, it's an 'unsaid' challenge to see who can spend the most time in the office (rather than who can output the most work). During covid lockdowns, everyone must've had mouse jigglers going 24/7!

    • saltypete on 15/03/2023 - 09:37

      Given that, I start to see the workers logic in this.

    • OzBarAnon on 17/03/2023 - 12:26

      It's like that episode of Seinfeld in which George's car broke down in the office parking lot, so he always appeared to be the first one in and last to leave

  • Stopback on 14/03/2023 - 16:53
    +9

    The world is a pyramid of suffering.

    Korean running off to aus to work with cash in hand jobs.

    Russians in Korea doing welding

    • GG57 on 15/03/2023 - 09:23
      +2

      Australians working in bars in the UK

    • jonagrah on 16/03/2023 - 15:31
      +1

      Is there much cash in hand jobs?

      • Carmen Sandiego on 28/05/2023 - 13:34

        Hospo is still a cash in hand industry.

        Also the narcotics/"fun in a powder/pill" industry.

  • payless69 on 14/03/2023 - 16:56

    Sixty Nine is the best number.
    Kia's already self park better than Tecla's.

    • TEER3X on 14/03/2023 - 17:01
      +10

      Did you buy your Tecla off eBay like me?

  • scotty on 14/03/2023 - 16:57
    +17

    Funny that under the reason behind the change:

    The ministry said the labour reform proposal was part of efforts to bring more labour flexibility and improve work-life balance…

    I guess their understanding of "work-life balance" is spending 50% of your living hours at work.

    • CrowReally on 14/03/2023 - 17:01
      +12

      50% of the time at work, 50% of the time having a life. Looks balanced to me! ;)

      • scotty on 14/03/2023 - 17:02
        +7

        That's 84 hours per week working for work/life balance. Currently at 69 — they are almost there!

        • CrowReally on 14/03/2023 - 17:07
          +6

          I knew they were slacking off. Work harder, peons, you must construct additional pylons!

    • randomusername2017 on 14/03/2023 - 18:24
      +2

      Something got lost in translation..emphasis was supposed to be on flexibility and 69 hours.

  • shaybisc on 14/03/2023 - 17:26
    -3

    Bloody unions.

  • Look Up on 14/03/2023 - 17:48

    Positive news for this place considering it is actually SKBargain pretending to be OzBargain
    Without Samsung, LG and Hynix, half the deals on this site wouldn't exist
    And without Hyundai container ships, the other half couldn't be shipped here from China

  • MrThing on 14/03/2023 - 18:04

    69…..nice

  • AustriaBargain on 14/03/2023 - 18:54
    -1

    If South Korea needs more workers they should unify with North Korea, with their new total population everyone would only have to work 46 hours a week to achieve the same productivity. It'd put the US on the border with China so it'll never happen though.

    • CowFrogHorse on 16/03/2023 - 17:21

      WHy NK why not import workers from Afghanistan, im sure they are well educated.

    • ram4ram on 16/03/2023 - 20:15

      If South Korea needs more workers they should unify with North Korea

      Regarding unification… Don't you think South Korea wants that?

      My father's Korean, and his generation (the 'older' generation), unification was the obvious longing hope (nowadays it's a bit more complicated). I'm pretty sure it's the same for North Koreans. There was a YouTUbe clip - a young South Korea vlogger, who happened to meet North Korean workers in Thailand. He was very surprised at the sight of North Koreans (as anyone should be). They had a very brief interaction, but as they parted ways, the NKs were able to complete the SK's sentence, as if it was second nature, "What do we want?" - "Unification".

      Obstacles: geo-politics.

      The Korean peninsula is tiny, and surrounded by hostile global competing powers China, Russia, Japan. South Korea will not give up its democracy (and western alliances) / way of life for unification, but China will not want a democratic North Korea (similar reason to why they don't want Taiwan or Hong Kong to exist - democracy next door, especially one aligned to the US, is a 'threat'), so China will continue to prop up and support the Kim Jong-un dynasty to keep North Korea 'alive'. Also Japan will not want a unified Korea - there's enough competition with South Korea already, and they can 'live' with North Korea / keep the status quo as long as the US has their back.

      Anyhow the decision is between China, the US ("UN Command") and North Korea - the signatories of the Korean War Armistice Agreement. They've been dragging their heels for what, 80 years now… and the best scenario for everyone (excluding the ethnic Korean people) is the status quo - a divided and 'weak' Korea (though South Korea has obviously thrived in the world)

      • AustriaBargain on 16/03/2023 - 20:27

        Eh, I doubt the dynasty behind the North can last forever. China's need for a buffer between the and South Korea can't last forever either. Give it 60 years and it could reunify, perhaps South Korea will be a big trade partner with China one day.

        • ram4ram on 16/03/2023 - 20:46

          Hope so mate.

          South Korea will be a big trade partner with China one day.

          They are already 'big' trade partners, like how Australia is with China. However, China's way too big and it's one-sided, and this has become a problem due to economic coercion by China. So South Korea, like Australia, is trying to resolve it by decoupling from China and diversifying its trade with other nations.

  • randomvis on 14/03/2023 - 19:37

    Country worried about falling birth rates

    Force people to work longer— makes sense if you want to destroy the country.

    • SBOB on 14/03/2023 - 19:59
      +3

      Force

      So, didn't read the article and just the headline?

  • SBOB on 14/03/2023 - 19:58
    +8

    Isn't this just permitting a higher upper limit of permissable overtime? It's not enforcing working that much, just increasing a current upper overtime limit.

    It's still 40 hour regular employment limit with a raising of the permittable overtime being increased?

    Compared to here, are there even any federal laws restricting the maximum amount of overtime someone can do in a week? I know there's been (incredibly rare, but not never) weeks where myself or others I've worked with would have exceeded 70 hours in a week where jobs/travel required it, resulting in 30+ hrs of overtime.

    Seems like a slow news day at ABC headquarters?

    • GG57 on 15/03/2023 - 09:26
      +2

      Finally someone read the article and understood it.

      • ozhunter on 15/03/2023 - 12:41
        +1

        Lol, did you even read or understand it before you made a post about it?

        Not surprising there's no "clickbait clickbait" comments. 😄

        • GG57 on 15/03/2023 - 13:45

          Of course I read it before I posted it.

  • WreckTangle on 14/03/2023 - 20:24
    +8

    NSW liberals would be happy at this news

  • Ughhh on 14/03/2023 - 20:33
    +2

    Are they trying to follow Japan's footsteps? Making life all about the career.

    • plmko on 14/03/2023 - 22:57
      +4

      Actually this is worse than Japan. Japan has enshrined law to represent anything more than 40 hours a week as overtime. Here we have the Government work in lock step with the oligarchs to enslave people.

      • zealmax on 16/03/2023 - 13:57

        Read the article. 69 hours is max hours workable including overtime. Currently max workable hours including overtime is 52. The change allows workers to do more overtime. Supposed to make working hours more flexible. Australia doesn't have a cap on overtime.

      • crentist on 17/03/2023 - 05:00

        My Japanese jobs included overtime bonus all the time, whether or not I did overtime.
        Which meant I had contracts saying that I was expected to work the standard 40hours, and also that I was being paid for 20hrs overtime and obliged to do it if needed. If not needed, I'd get the money anyway.
        Felt very much like a box ticking exercise, but also a sign that they might actually have some respect for their own workplace laws.

        Now if I did more than 60 hours, then I'd get something more than the usual payslip

  • Master Bates on 14/03/2023 - 21:23
    +3

    Sounds like a consulting engagement for Peter Costello is required, hello Baby Bonus!

  • ozboygsl on 15/03/2023 - 11:19

    When did they turn socialist? oh wait…they'd need to have death camps for that.

    • monky on 15/03/2023 - 12:52
      +3

      So to you, Socialism = Paying workers correctly for overtime + Death camps

      A very cool and very sane position

      • ozboygsl on 22/03/2023 - 10:36

        wow. so triggered you have feel compelled to make comical conclusions and to show your inability to understand historical truth . Please, give me some more to laugh at.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/03/2023 - 11:16

      https://youtu.be/lrBRV3WK2x4

  • suzley on 15/03/2023 - 11:43

    Wonder if it will catch on here?

    • GG57 on 15/03/2023 - 11:45
      +4

      According to other reports, a Federal Government working committee has recently recommended more positive changes to Australian working conditions, such as a 4-day week, and the right to disengage from work daily.

    • CowFrogHorse on 16/03/2023 - 17:23

      Its already happening, this is american corprate speak.

      Ever heard the company is your family, dont you love how wonderful your ceo and leader is ? Dont you love standups and town halls ? Dont you love all those fake claps and applauses and thumbs up ?

      • CrowReally on 25/03/2023 - 01:54
        +1

        This comment would have value if you'd ever had a job in your life.

        You can't tell us you're a NDIS recipient and never had "non family" contact and then turn around and pretend you know how employment works.

        I don't mind my taxes paying for deficients to get care, but it's ridiculous for those same simpletons to pretend they're now running the society rig and they know how it all works.

  • backpaqer on 15/03/2023 - 14:07
    +2

    Falling birth rate… 69 dude…

    • Carmen Sandiego on 16/03/2023 - 11:08
      +3

      S.Korea has the worst birthrate in the world - 0.78

      • Cheap Gamer on 16/03/2023 - 16:23
        +2

        It's like they're in Marty McFly's photo. South Koreans are fading from existence.

  • Carmen Sandiego on 16/03/2023 - 11:12
    +2

    Adding to this, according to Korean media, apparently the PM proposed the idea before he had a conversation with the President…

    Either way, it's not going to solve their unenviable title of #1 worst birth rate in the world along with their other #1 titles…

  • Herbse on 16/03/2023 - 12:36

    This will trigger all the wfh, flexible hours, job share, 4 days a week at above award rates job seeking millennials.

  • illusion99 on 16/03/2023 - 13:12
    +2

    They've backtracked on this now after everyone complained

  • unhuman on 16/03/2023 - 14:03

    It’s not enough, why not 6969 hours a month, that leaves around 6 min a day for other activities.

    • pharkurnell on 16/03/2023 - 14:25
      +1

      My boss says thanks for the great idea.. and your a forward thinking man….

      • unhuman on 16/03/2023 - 19:03
        +1

        Here’s an idea, ship your boss to Korea lol

  • morebunnings on 16/03/2023 - 14:10

    So theyre increasing the maximum amount of overtime you can do per week from 12 to 29hours/week?

    Australia doesnt even have a maximum.

  • SpicyStew on 16/03/2023 - 14:19

    it will be approved april 20th

  • Oofy Doofy on 16/03/2023 - 14:26

    I was going to comment somewhere about this, because…

    Why 69?

    It has to be a running joke by this point…

    • GG57 on 16/03/2023 - 14:47
      +1

      Two days too late…

      • Oofy Doofy on 16/03/2023 - 17:06

        13.8 hours per day… to get a 69 hour work week… is this Sth Korean comedy?

        • unhuman on 17/03/2023 - 06:28

          You obviously don’t know the work hours in asia. 12 hours plus a day is normal. That’s why whoever are capable , move to western nations for “work life balance”.

          • Oofy Doofy on 17/03/2023 - 19:41

            @unhuman: Their long work hours are nothing new, only the oddity of their proposed idea of a 69 hour work week.

            Which is the whole point of this thread.

            I've almost reached the opinion of it being 69 hours for the sake of headline baiting. It would seem that way since they quickly ditched the idea.

  • Cheap Gamer on 16/03/2023 - 16:13

    We need more K-Pop so make it 169 hours!

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