Government Mandates Rotating Remote Work for Public Officials... Implemented in 55 Central Administrative Agencies

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The government has significantly strengthened work guidelines to mandate alternating remote work for public officials in order to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). This is the first time that remote work has been made mandatory in the public sector.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced on the 12th that it had delivered the "Flexible Work Implementation Guidelines for Public Officials to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19" to 55 central administrative agencies.

The core of these guidelines, separate from previous COVID-19 related public official work management guidelines, is to reduce office density by mandating remote work at a fixed ratio per department.

First, the ratio of remote workers is determined by the head of the agency within the scope that does not interfere with public-facing duties. Additionally, remote work is to be implemented on a rotating basis to prevent overburdening specific officials. However, managers such as directors and section chiefs are designated as essential personnel and will work on-site. Measures will be taken to ensure that remote work, including working from home, does not disrupt work performance.

On the 12th, at Dong Seoul Terminal in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, quarantine officials from Gwangjin-gu and soldiers from the Army Capital Defense Command are conducting disinfection work to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

To enable public officials to use the internal network outside the office, the government remote work service (GVPN) will be installed, and work phones must be forwarded. Daily reports on the previous day's work performance and the current day's work plan are also required. Measures to minimize face-to-face contact during commuting and lunch breaks are included.

To disperse commuting personnel, agencies and departments will set different start times between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Lunch hours will also be staggered between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

If it is unavoidable to come to the office, each department must designate a health manager who is required to check and report twice daily for suspected symptoms such as fever or respiratory issues.

Even mild suspected symptoms require immediate home quarantine, and remote workers must be regularly checked for any COVID-19 related abnormalities. Furthermore, meetings and reports are to be conducted via video or in writing as a principle, and face-to-face work consultations will be minimized.

The Ministry of Personnel Management has issued COVID-19 related work management guidelines seven times by the 10th since the infectious disease crisis alert was raised to the "serious" level. These new guidelines represent the strictest measures among all public official work management guidelines issued so far.

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