À̹ÌÁö È®´ë S. Korea¡¯s Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki (second from right) speaks in a meeting on Friday [Photo provided by Yonhap]
The South Korean government is mulling various options to mitigate burden on small employers facing statutory 52-hour workweek rule from next year, deputy prime minister Hong Nam-ki said Friday.
His comment comes after President Moon Jae-in ordered the cabinet to come up with measures to help companies struggling with shorter work hours as legislative review on extending flextime to compensate for the cutback in workweek has been delayed due to conflict among rivaling parties.
The government will come up with executive measures that do not require legislative approval to aid employers against shorter work hours next month.
The maximum workweek hour was cut to 52 from 68, starting July 2018. The government has applied the new rule in stages by business size. The rule extends to workplaces employing fewer than 300 from January next year.
Options could include delay in the enforcement or grace period.
By Moon Jae-yong and Cho Jeehyun
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]