One Month of Remote Work... Brief Joy of Escaping 'Jiokcheol', But 'Double the Side-Eye' Breaks Work-Life Balance

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Cho] "The hellish commute is gone, but my routine is ruined."

Kim Young-ho (pseudonym), a manager-level employee at a major IT company, has been commuting to his "child's room" fully dressed with his employee ID badge around his neck since last week, the third week of working from home. The extra sleep time from working remotely was a relief for only one week. He was flustered when his young child suddenly started crying while he was on a work call with his boss. He shared his frustration, saying, "I feel scrutinized both at work and at home," and added, "It's difficult to separate work and life."

Fatigue is increasing among office workers who have been working from home for a month. While the remote work system, hastily introduced due to the spread of COVID-19, has been positively evaluated as an opportunity to prepare for work innovation, concerns about its prolonged duration are emerging. As work gaps become visible, companies are also weighing the timing for returning to normal office attendance.

◆"Remote work is efficient" - Positive feedback on implementation= Lee Ji-eun (pseudonym), a staff-level employee at an SK Group affiliate who has been working from home for a month as of the 25th, said, "I was surprisingly impressed by how efficient the remote work system is," adding, "Since the one-hour commute disappeared, it seems my work output has increased." Park Jin-ho (pseudonym), a team leader at a CJ Group affiliate, also evaluated the past month, saying, "The best part is not having to endure the hellish subway commute," and "This is a good opportunity to refine and expand the remote work system."

Positive feedback is pouring in from internal surveys, especially among ICT companies. SK Telecom’s survey after one month of remote work showed that 63.7% of respondents found it "similar to or more efficient than usual." Including those who said it was "somewhat inconvenient but bearable (34.0%)," over 97% gave positive responses. Microsoft’s (MS) survey also showed a satisfaction score of 4.15 out of 5. The remote work system introduced due to COVID-19 has successfully taken the first step as an experiment in work innovation.

◆Concerns about prolongation... complaints continue= However, as remote work extends beyond a month, more people are voicing concerns about work gaps and difficulties. Lee Jung-ho, a middle manager at a large company, said, "No matter how good the system is, there are limits to communication for work," shaking his head. "It’s not easy to convey nuances through a monitor. Collaboration is delayed by a beat." Kim Young-seok, who works at an accounting firm, sighed, saying there is also a perception problem that "working from home equals slacking off."

Complaints about the difficulty of separating work and life are pouring in. Kim Jin-young, a working mom in her 30s, lamented, "There are more days when I work even after official hours." Park Young-guk, who works shifts, complained, "My routine has been disrupted because remote work and normal work alternate." Families who used to separate work hours are now stuck together at home, leading to awkward situations. Typical complaints include hearing children’s voices during work calls or becoming a "Samsiki" (a term for husbands who eat all three meals at home) as joked about.

In industries hit hard by COVID-19, anxiety is even greater. Kim Jung-mi, who works in the travel industry, said, "There are rampant rumors that salaries won’t be paid, but I can’t get a clear sense of the company atmosphere." Concerns are mounting that prolonged remote work will lead to salary cuts and restructuring in companies.

An official from a large company said, "We are considering when to return to normal office attendance, but there is still a burden in deciding to stop remote work," adding, "The mood is to monitor the situation until the school reopening period in April."

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