According to a recent survey, workplaces offering flexible scheduling are satisfactory to both companies and employees. (Image : Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan.22 (Korea Bizwire) – According to a recent survey, workplaces offering flexible scheduling are satisfactory to both companies and employees.
To understand the current status of flexible work hour environments and make necessary improvements, the Korea Employment Information Service conducted a survey with the participation 300 managers in charge of personnel, 400 employees that work flexible hours, and 200 full-time workers.
Flextime employees work shorter hours than full-time workers, while being provided with the same basic labor conditions. Variable flextime is a system in which an employee can work flexible hours for a limited amount of time due to childcare, health or studies.
The results of the survey showed that the level of satisfaction for new flextime workers reached 4.3 points out of five, and 4.4 points among workers who switched from full-time to flexible hours.
Many working moms, women in their 30s, married and with children who are not in school yet, switched from full-time employment to a flextime schedule.
Personnel managers also seemed satisfied with the new policy, which was reflected in a satisfaction score of 4.2 on the same scale. They commented that flexible work schedules could help prevent experienced workers from leaving for another job, and help employees to achieve a better work/life balance.
Many of the respondents answered that they would expand flexible hours in the workplace.
At a bit more than two thirds, 67.3 percent of the respondents answered that they would increase new employment of flextime workers, and 78.4 percent answered that they would keep or expand flexible work hours.
At 90 percent, the vast majority of the full time employees working at a company that adopted flexible hours answered that they currently need flexible working hours in the workplace, while 79.5 percent answered that they would benefit from a variable flextime work environment.
Officials from the Korea Employment Information Service commented that policies should be established to adopt various labor conditions to settle flexible working hours.
By Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
