"Stay Home When Sick?" Office Workers Sigh at 'Reality-Ignoring' Policy

Health Authorities Reveal 5 Basic Personal Hygiene Rules for 'Everyday Social Distancing'
54% Respondents Found 'Stay Home When Sick' Difficult in Last Month's Survey
Government Also Requests Introduction of Sickness Allowance to Partially Compensate Income

Park Neung-hoo, the first deputy head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, is briefing the results of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting on COVID-19 response at the Government Seoul Office Building on the afternoon of the 3rd. / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy reporters Seunggon Han and intern Juhyung Lim] As the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) slows down, the government plans to shift its quarantine system to 'distancing in daily life' starting from the 6th.

Accordingly, the quarantine authorities have released the five basic personal quarantine rules, but some of these rules have been criticized as difficult to follow in reality.

In particular, for office workers, the guideline to 'stay home and rest for 3 to 4 days without going to work or school when sick' is considered hard to implement given the social atmosphere and surrounding perceptions. Experts suggest that the government should provide some social compensation, such as sickness benefits, to encourage voluntary participation in quarantine by the public.

On the 5th, Park Neunghoo, the first head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH), stated at the CDSCH meeting held at the Seoul Situation Center in the Central Disaster and Safety Situation Room of the Government Seoul Office, "From the 6th, we will implement distancing in daily life to harmonize everyday life and quarantine," adding, "Facilities that had been closed will gradually resume operations, and events and gatherings will be allowed in principle, provided that quarantine guidelines are followed."

He continued, "Distancing in daily life does not mean the end of COVID-19," emphasizing, "It means guaranteeing social and economic activities while each individual and our society as a whole take responsibility for quarantine themselves."

On the afternoon of March 31, citizens who came out for an outing at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul are practicing 'social distancing.' / Photo by Yonhap News

Distancing in daily life is largely composed of five personal quarantine guidelines, four supplementary rules, five core group quarantine rules, and 31 detailed guidelines.

Among these, the five core personal quarantine rules are: ▲ If sick, do not go to work or school and rest at home for 3 to 4 days ▲ Keep a sufficient distance of two arm lengths between people ▲ Wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and cover your sleeve when coughing ▲ Ventilate at least twice a day and disinfect regularly ▲ Keep physical distance but stay close in heart.

However, the first rule, 'rest at home for 3 to 4 days when sick,' raises concerns about its practical feasibility. Considering workplace atmosphere and working conditions, many feel they have no choice but to go to work even when ill.

Office worker A (28) said, "It's hard to take leave even under normal circumstances, so resting for 3 to 4 days just because I'm sick is practically impossible," adding, "Also, with the recent downturn in business due to COVID-19, the company atmosphere is gloomy, so I feel a lot of pressure."

B (31), who works in the kitchen at a sushi restaurant in Seoul, said, "In the food service industry, if even one person is absent, it's difficult to operate properly that day," and added, "It's hard to get proper rest even on public holidays, so no matter how sick I am, being absent for 3 to 4 days seems impossible."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, in an online survey conducted by the CDSCH from the 12th to the 26th of last month targeting 8,447 people, 54% responded that 'resting at home for 3 to 4 days when sick' was the most difficult among the five basic rules to practice.

Some respondents also expressed opinions requesting the introduction of 'sickness benefits,' which compensate for lost income or cash benefits during treatment for illness or injury for those enrolled in health insurance.

The government plans to pilot this rule starting with public institutions to participate in improving workplace culture.

Kim Kanglip, the first general coordinator of the CDSCH, explained at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 4th, "We ask that the (distancing in daily life) guidelines be voluntarily established in the field," adding, "It is difficult to apply these principles to all jobs, so we are discussing whether there are ways for the government to supplement and support short-term jobs."

Regarding the possibility of introducing sickness benefits, Lee Kiil, head of the Medical Support Team at the Central Accident Response Headquarters, said on the same day, "Introducing sickness benefits would require resources ranging from 800 billion to 1.7 trillion won," and added, "There needs to be discussion on how to secure these funds."

Experts emphasize the need for the government to compensate part of the vacation costs to encourage voluntary participation in quarantine by the public.

Park Hyeyoung, an activist with the Labor Health Solidarity, pointed out, "According to data from 'Workplace Power Harassment 119,' which surveyed 1,000 office workers recently, the majority of Korean office workers often do not have the conditions to take leave even when sick," adding, "Without appropriate measures, no one will actually be able to rest."

She continued, "Regarding sickness benefits, among OECD member countries, all except the United States, Switzerland, and Korea have already implemented them," and explained, "To actively involve the public in quarantine, appropriate social compensation like sickness benefits is necessary."

She also emphasized, "The distancing in daily life guidelines are closely linked to the quarantine system," and added, "To encourage public participation, discussions should be conducted in various areas before hastily implementing policies."

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