Jung-gu Comforts Employees' Hearts

Meditation Experience

As malicious complaints increase, more public officials are getting emotionally hurt. Malicious complaints reduce administrative efficiency and hinder the provision of legitimate administrative services. The wounds suffered by employees can spread to other tasks, causing harm to the entire community.

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Kim Gilsung) operates various healing programs to care for the hearts of employees exhausted from work. The goal is to give employees time to recharge and regain the strength to focus on their original duties.

The district first selects employees who experience the most stress from handling complaints and sends them on healing trips. The 3-day, 2-night itinerary includes programs that help find peace of mind, such as temple visits, forest walks, pottery experiences, and meditation. About 100 employees are expected to participate in healing trips during the first half of the year.

The “Jung-gu Family Communication Teamwork Training,” which involves all employees, will be held from April to October. Employees can autonomously decide the schedule, team composition, and training topics. It is an opportunity to enhance communication skills and strengthen teamwork.

A “Temple Stay Experience” is also offered, allowing employees to reflect inwardly in a tranquil temple setting. Employees who wish to participate can apply for a 1-night or 2-night stay to find peace of mind and restore mental and physical health.

In celebration of Family Month in May, a “Family-Friendly Program” has been prepared. The program supports travel expenses so that employees can create precious memories and foster a family-friendly workplace atmosphere by traveling with their spouses, children, and parents.

Special leave is granted to employees who have worked hard on election duties and other tasks, allowing them to spend time recharging. The district actively encourages all employees to use this leave.

Ceramics Experience

Additionally, starting this year, the district conducts “Preventive Mental Health Checkups.” Employees can individually undergo tests at counseling centers or hospitals to check for depression, anxiety, lethargy, and other symptoms caused by job stress. If they apply for the costs, medical expenses up to 200,000 KRW per employee are reimbursed.

The “Mental Health Counseling Office” is also operated. Employees can autonomously receive counseling and treatment at hospitals or counseling centers and apply for up to 400,000 KRW annually for counseling and treatment expenses.

Kim Gilsung, Mayor of Jung-gu, emphasized, “The happiness and health of employees are the foundation of a healthy organizational culture,” and added, “We will do our best to care for employees’ mental health and create a happy workplace.”

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