Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok Leads Efforts to Improve Working Conditions for Social Welfare Facility Workers, Gaining Attention

Seoul's First Autonomous District to Support Individual Psychological Counseling Fees for Social Welfare Facility Workers... Protecting Workers from Work Stress Such as Repeated/Malicious Complaints and Verbal Abuse... Welfare Points of 120,000 KRW per Person Provided to 1,901 Workers at 173 Welfare Facilities

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Oh Seung-rok, the mayor of Nowon District, is making headlines for actively improving the treatment of social welfare facility workers by becoming the first autonomous district in Seoul to support professional psychological counseling for them.

Social welfare facility workers often need psychological counseling due to work-related stress caused by repetitive and malicious complaints, verbal abuse, and other issues at their workplaces, but protection and support systems for them are currently insufficient.

To address this, the district conducted preliminary opinion surveys including visits to social welfare sites and demand investigations, and last year implemented a pilot project targeting nine comprehensive social welfare centers, carefully reviewing and reflecting the voices of field workers.

The support targets about 600 workers at comprehensive social welfare centers, community self-sufficiency centers, women and family facilities, and child and youth facilities within the district. They receive full funding from the district for psychological counseling to relieve workplace stress and other personality test costs, with support up to 700,000 KRW per person.

Workers in need of support can directly apply for services at professional counseling agencies contracted with the district. Group counseling programs can also be conducted alongside individual counseling if necessary.

Additionally, if the counseling results indicate a crisis management case, connections to hospitals are arranged.

Anonymity is also guaranteed. Counseling is available not only face-to-face but also remotely via phone, and workers can apply directly to counseling agencies without going through other intermediaries.

The district expects that this psychological counseling support will reduce work stress for welfare facility workers and contribute to creating a safe working environment.

Furthermore, the district provides customized welfare points worth 120,000 KRW per person, fully funded by the district, to support health management, self-development, and leisure activities for social welfare facility workers.

The support covers 1,901 workers at 173 facilities including senior citizen, disabled, child, youth facilities, and comprehensive social welfare centers within the district, and is available to both regular and non-regular workers.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I am grateful to the workers who strive for the welfare of local residents despite difficult conditions,” adding, “We will seek various support methods to boost morale and improve welfare for workers on the front lines.”

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