SMEs Join Forces to Settle the 52-Hour Workweek System

Formation of the "Working Hours Reduction Task Force"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Park Young-sun, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs) announced on the 21st that it has formed the 'SME Working Group for Shortening Working Hours' together with the Ministry of Employment and Labor (Minister Lee Jae-gap, hereinafter the Ministry of Labor) and the Korea Federation of SMEs (Chairman Kim Ki-moon, hereinafter KFS) to support the early establishment of the 52-hour workweek system in small and medium enterprises, and has begun full-scale operations.

The working group will be established at both headquarters and regional levels. The headquarters will be co-chaired by director-level officials from the three organizations and will hold meetings once a month as a principle. By early February, regional working groups will be formed across eight regions. Since a one-year grace period is granted this year to companies with 50 to 299 employees to which the 52-hour workweek system applies, the working group plans to support SMEs in swiftly completing preparations for the 52-hour workweek system during this grace period.

Local branches of each organization will provide first-line consultations to companies struggling with preparations for the 52-hour workweek system on the ground, as well as support various government programs such as the 'Job Together Project Expansion.' For companies requiring labor consulting such as work system restructuring, they will be immediately connected with the Ministry of Labor’s 'Working Hours Reduction Field Support Team' within the region to provide one-on-one free consultations. Additionally, issues and suggestions raised on-site that are difficult to resolve immediately will be reported to the headquarters working group to seek solutions.

To ensure that SMEs do not miss out on assistance due to lack of awareness of various government support programs, guidance and education will be provided by maximizing the use of each organization’s network. First, the Ministry of Labor’s local offices have participated in the 'SME Policy Briefings' held by local SME offices since the 9th to explain information related to the 52-hour workweek system, and related information will also be actively provided through company briefings and meetings hosted by each organization in the future. A new training course related to the 52-hour workweek system will also be established at the SME Training Institute for representatives, executives, and HR personnel. Furthermore, a collection of case studies and solutions for difficulties in reducing working hours will be published to help companies facing similar challenges benchmark best practices.

A Ministry of SMEs official stated, "All organizations agree that this is a good opportunity to improve the long working hours culture while enhancing labor productivity," and added, "Going forward, we have agreed to actively cooperate in exploring support measures to create an organizational culture that works efficiently within appropriate hours and in holding joint campaigns."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.