Financial Authorities and Associations to Reduce Workplace Density, Including Call Centers, by Half

Financial Authorities and Associations Hold Meeting to Prevent and Contain COVID-19 Infections in the Financial Sector

Eun Sung-soo, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, is holding a meeting related to COVID-19 with heads of financial sector associations at the Bankers Club of the Korea Federation of Banks in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 6th. (Clockwise from the left) Na Jae-chul, Chairman of the Korea Financial Investment Association; Eun Sung-soo, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission; Shin Yong-gil, Chairman of the Korea Life Insurance Association; Park Jae-sik, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Savings Banks; Kim Yong-duk, Chairman of the General Insurance Association of Korea; Kim Tae-young, Chairman of the Korea Federation of Banks; Kim Joo-hyun, Chairman of the Korea Credit Finance Association.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kangwook Cho] Financial authorities and associations have decided to reduce the density of call centers in the financial sector, where COVID-19 cluster infections occurred, to half of the previous level.

The Financial Services Commission, the Financial Supervisory Service, and financial sector associations held a meeting on the 13th to prevent and contain COVID-19 infections and announced guidelines containing these measures.

The financial authorities communicated to the financial sector the key points of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters' workplace-focused COVID-19 prevention guidelines, including establishing infection control systems within workplaces, strengthening preventive management, enhancing management of employees, users, and visitors, practicing social distancing within workplaces, and immediately reporting and isolating suspected cases to the local health center.

Accordingly, financial sector associations pledged to make every effort to reduce workplace density to half of the previous level to prevent COVID-19.

First, if there is sufficient space within the workplace, they will secure a distance of at least 1.5 meters between counselors by seating them with one seat apart or in a zigzag pattern, and maintain counselor partitions at a minimum height of 60 cm. If space is insufficient, they recommended securing space through shift work, dispersed work, or telecommuting (remote work).

They will thoroughly carry out disinfection inside and outside call center facilities. Immediate disinfection of business sites will be conducted by the 17th, and periodic disinfection measures will be taken at least once a week. They will provide counselors with masks, hand sanitizers, thermometers, disinfectant sprayers, and other disinfection supplies, and ensure regular ventilation.

They also emphasized that these guidelines must be faithfully implemented not only in call centers operated independently by financial companies but also in outsourced call centers. They added that employment and income stability of call center employees must be maintained during the implementation of these measures.

The financial authorities plan to continuously monitor whether the discussed measures are faithfully implemented. Financial sector associations will also launch a campaign appealing to the public to refrain from non-urgent consultation and complaint calls during the COVID-19 response period.

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