Gyeonggi-do Proposes Establishment of National Fund Project for Improving Workers' Rest Facilities

Development and Inclusion of Indicators Related to 'Rest Facility Improvement' in Government Joint Evaluation Items

Reference photo (Discussion on improving rest facilities for vulnerable workers such as cleaners and security guards held last April) [Provided by Gyeonggi Province]

[Asia Economy Reporter La Young-cheol] Gyeonggi Province, which has established and is operating a 'rest facility improvement item' in the evaluation indicators for public institutions, has proposed to the government a nationwide initiative to improve rest facilities for vulnerable workers.

The province announced on the 3rd that it submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Employment and Labor requesting the expansion of the national project for the 'rest facility improvement project for vulnerable workers such as cleaners and security guards' and the inclusion of related content in the government's joint evaluation items.

This was made possible as a systemic foundation following the passage of the amendment to the 'Industrial Safety and Health Act' in the National Assembly on the 24th of last month, which mandates rest facilities in workplaces.

The main proposal from the province is to establish a central government-funded subsidy project to improve rest facilities in poor workplaces where the rest facility area is insufficient compared to the number of workers or where heating and cooling facilities are inadequate, ensuring compliance with relevant laws.

Additionally, it aims to prepare for the increasing demand for rest facility improvements in workplaces with poor labor conditions in the future, with priority support especially for workers such as cleaners, security guards, and emotional laborers who require comfortable rest conditions due to the nature of their work.

Along with this, the province also proposed specifying quantitative area standards and conditions for rest facilities in the 'Regulations on Housing Construction Standards, etc.'

The idea is to secure rest facility areas separately from management offices and to present minimum area requirements to create conditions for sufficient rest.

Furthermore, to secure practical rest facility areas, the proposal includes excluding rest facility areas from the floor area ratio calculation under the 'Enforcement Decree of the Building Act.'

With the passage of this amendment to the 'Industrial Safety and Health Act,' each workplace is required to install worker rest facilities that meet the standards, and failure to comply may result in penalties of up to 15 million won.

Regarding this, Governor Lee Jae-myung stated on his social media on the 27th, "I welcome the passage of the amendment to the Industrial Safety and Health Act," and added, "I will continue to take steady steps toward a society where labor is genuinely respected."

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