Why Do National Tax Service Part-Time Public Officials Complain?

Integrated Union Time-Choice Headquarters Claims "No Extension of Working Hours Nationwide at Tax Offices Despite Staff Shortages Due to Parental Leave and Other Absences"

Lee Chung-jae, Chairman of the Integrated Public Officials Union

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] It has been reported that part-time public officials at the National Tax Service (NTS) are being operated as substitutes for full-time public officials, drawing criticism.

Jung Sung-hye, head of the Part-Time Public Officials Division of the Integrated Public Officials Union, stated in a press release on the 31st, "Part-time public officials were first introduced in 2013 during the Park Geun-hye administration. They are general service public officials with shorter working hours, introduced with the purpose of providing quality jobs without discrimination to women who experienced career interruptions due to childcare, nursing, and other reasons. Currently, about 110 part-time public officials are handling civil service tasks at the NTS tax offices." She added, "However, unlike other central administrative agencies, since 2015, the NTS has been operating 'part-time public officials' as substitutes for full-time public officials, contrary to the original purpose of the system and current laws, causing public outrage."

She further claimed, "When a full-time public official reduces their working hours and transitions to a 'part-time converted public official,' a 'part-time fixed-term public official' should be hired to handle the remaining working hours. However, contrary to the purpose of the system mentioned above, the NTS is abusing and operating 'part-time public officials' as substitutes."

The NTS's 'part-time public officials' are recruited with preferential qualifications such as having more than three years of experience in related fields (taxation, accounting), holding certified public accountant or tax accountant licenses, or possessing a bachelor's degree or higher in taxation, accounting, or business administration. However, it is known that these talents are not being utilized properly and are instead assigned to fixed civil service tasks related to civil complaints.

Ultimately, the NTS's 'part-time public officials' suffer from dual hardships due to discriminatory perceptions as 'substitutes for full-time public officials' and operations that differ from laws, unlike part-time public officials in other central administrative agencies.

The following are the claims made by the Integrated Union's Part-Time Public Officials Division.

First, although there are over 110 vacancies due to childcare leave and other reasons, the NTS does not allow an increase in working hours. On June 18, 2019, the rigid working pattern of working 20 hours per week in pairs during morning and afternoon shifts caused issues with civil complaints, leading to the amendment of Article 3-3 of the Public Officials Appointment Decree to allow 'part-time public officials' to work up to 35 hours per week.

As of December 23, 2020, a survey on the expansion of working hours for part-time public officials in central administrative agencies showed that 92.3% of 40 agencies, excluding the NTS, Korea Customs Service, and Military Manpower Administration, have implemented this.

According to the NTS's personnel information disclosure in March 2020, there were about 110 vacancies nationwide, providing room for increasing working hours. The affiliated 'part-time public officials' submitted applications to extend their working hours to 35 hours per week, but the NTS announced plans to implement this in 2022 on the condition of passing an internal exam.

Eventually, on November 11, a media outlet published an article titled "NTS: 'If they pass the exam' on demands to expand working hours for part-time public officials," which criticized the exam as disregarding the career hiring process for experienced personnel who had already been trained and appointed, leading to the withdrawal of the exam.

However, the NTS stated that starting January 2022, it would implement the system because it is difficult to find substitutes for 'part-time converted public officials' when part-time public officials increase their working hours and transfer to other departments, thus failing to properly utilize the purpose of the system revision.

In the first half of 2021, the NTS should hire 'part-time fixed-term public officials' as substitutes for 'part-time converted public officials' as stipulated by current law, increase employment rates, and alleviate workload overload by expanding working hours for 'part-time public officials,' as tax offices nationwide are experiencing labor shortages due to increased workload and leaves caused by COVID-19.

Second, the NTS's 'part-time public officials' are 'fixed-time public officials.'

The recruitment announcement for 'part-time public officials' indicated that various working hours such as morning, afternoon, night, and alternate days were possible.

However, full-time public officials who reduce their working hours due to childcare or other reasons are given priority assignment to morning shifts once every six months, while those who choose to be 'part-time public officials' for the same reasons are assigned to afternoon shifts, discriminating against them despite being the same 'part-time public officials.'

This situation is unique to the NTS compared to other central administrative agencies, where part-time public officials are viewed as subjects of discrimination rather than colleagues working together within the organization. Although improvement has been requested, the stance remains unchanged.

Ultimately, 'part-time public officials' working in undesirable departments and hours are unable to utilize their careers and suffer from discrimination and prejudice within the NTS. Equal rights to choose working hours must be guaranteed as soon as possible.

Third, the NTS's department assignments are also discriminatory. All 'part-time public officials' are assigned to 'civil complaint tasks.'

All 'part-time public officials' at the NTS are assigned only to the undesirable task of handling civil complaints. In 2020, some 'part-time public officials' appointed in 2015 were transferred to other tax offices, but their assigned tasks remained 'civil complaints,' denying them opportunities to experience diverse work.

Although this issue was raised, it was dismissed with the explanation that "many people nowadays prefer working in civil service offices."

In that case, it is questionable whether there are any full-time public officials at the NTS who have been handling civil complaint tasks for over five years.

Follow-up measures such as department transfers are necessary to allow 'part-time public officials' to gain experience in various tasks.

Fourth, the NTS's 'part-time public officials' work at two-person desks with one computer, making them vulnerable to security and infection risks.

'Part-time public officials' are general service public officials who work shorter hours under the National Public Officials Act. However, most work in shifts of 20 hours each, sharing 'two-person desks and one computer.'

Although the law was amended to allow various working hours from 15 to 35 hours per week, the NTS rigidly operates 'part-time public officials' in pairs working 20 hours each in morning and afternoon shifts, resulting in security risks such as personal information leakage and accountability issues due to sharing one computer.

In particular, sharing one computer and desk increases infection risks due to COVID-19, so improvements should be made to allow 'part-time public officials' to work separately at individual workstations.

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