The vast majority of the get-togethers involved going out for dinner with alcoholic drinks. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Oct. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — A 52-hour workweek and anti-harassment laws are impacting the get-together practices called ‘hoesik’ prevalent in South Korean companies.
Saramin, a South Korean job search portal, conducted a survey of 1,824 people, 64.5 percent of whom said that they have the right not to participate in company get-togethers without having to submit a reason for absence or being subject to any kind of disadvantage.
This represents an increase of 9.4 percentage points since last year (55.1 percent).
Among respondents, 40.9 percent said that the culture of get-togethers at work has changed after the 52-hour workweek and anti-harassment laws were introduced.
As for what has changed the most, 42.4 percent of the respondents said that the get-togethers now end much earlier.
Another 24.7 percent, however, said there are still disadvantages implicit in the act of not participating in the get-togethers.
Among them, 56.7 percent were subject to feelings of being sidelined from a team or department, while 50.7 percent said they were being seen as people with difficulties adjusting to the organization.
Respondents said they go out for get-togethers 1.5 times per month. At 82.1 percent, the vast majority of the get-togethers involved going out for dinner with alcoholic drinks.
The most popular form of get-together among employees, however, was going out for lunch instead (32.6 percent).
Others picked cultural activities including movies and plays (23.2 percent), and exploring popular food vendors (20.6 percent).
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
