[K-Women Talk] Allow Workcations

Work-Life Balance Becomes More Crucial in May
Boosting Productivity Depending on the Nature of Work

Kim Kyung-sun, former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family

As we age, balance becomes increasingly important. Balance is crucial in exercise, and it is also essential in our eating and drinking habits. Among these, the most demanded form of balance is the balance between work and life. Work-life balance is important from a personal perspective, is a key issue for companies in managing their workforce, and is also critical for a nation's sustainable growth. Although work-life balance is a continuous concern throughout the year, its importance becomes even more pronounced in May, known as the month of family.

May is the busiest month of the year. There are many family events, and with the forests turning lush and flowers blooming along streams, it is a time when people suddenly want to take a trip far away. It is a period when one wishes a day had not 24 hours but about 32 hours. Is there a way to maintain work productivity while also enjoying leisure during such a time?

Recently, among young office workers, the term "workcation" has been frequently mentioned. It is a combination of work and vacation, referring to a work style that allows people to work and take a vacation simultaneously at a desired location. It is a type of remote work that emerged as telecommuting and other remote work forms became widespread due to COVID-19. Of course, this is possible only when a digital infrastructure for remote work is in place and is limited to jobs such as office work and development tasks that can be done remotely. However, with the rise of the MZ generation workers who are familiar with digital devices and value work-life balance, workcation is expected to spread further.

Experts also predict that this is not a temporary phenomenon caused by COVID-19 but will increase globally in the future. When I visited New York with my daughter last winter, I met her friend who worked for a company based in California but lived in New York. Remote work had already advanced significantly in the United States. South Korea will soon see widespread adoption as well.

Depending on the nature of the work, workcation can even enhance productivity. From a corporate perspective, it can greatly help in recruiting talented personnel. As the digital-based economy develops, it has become possible to overcome geographical constraints related to work, and this trend has spread. Going forward, remote work, including workcation, will significantly transform our workplace culture.

Eliminating time lost to commuting will allow workers to focus more on their tasks while making it easier to maintain work-life balance, increasing job satisfaction. For companies, costs related to securing office space can be reduced, and effective work management and evaluation will become possible through digital technology-based performance assessment methods that are currently developing. For society as a whole, it will help alleviate traffic congestion during commuting hours immediately, and if regional stay-type workcations at vacation spots spread, it could also contribute to balanced regional development.

Recently, a major corporation declared that its executives would work six days a week. This appears to be an effort to concentrate organizational capabilities in an emergency management context. While corporate measures to strengthen organizational capabilities are entirely the company's decision, to prevent employees who do not come to the office from feeling anxious and to enable executives to perform better, might it be necessary in the digital economy era to allow remote work and even workcation in some cases?

Kim Kyung-sun, Former Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family

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