Majority of South Korean businesses opt for WFH even after pandemic

This was revealed in a recent Labor Ministry survey conducted on 620 businesses, which also showed that 11.3% of businesses intend to stop the remote work scheme when the pandemic ends.

Out of the companies planning to maintain the remote work scheme at the current level, 53.6% said they saw no difference in productivity compared with that under at-office work, while 20.5% cited the strong intention to do so by management.

More than two-thirds of workers at such companies expressed the desire to continue remote work even after the pandemic. Those who preferred the remote-work system consist of mostly working parents with young children as it allowed them to manage their work-life balance better, said the ministry, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The pandemic has brought about a fundamental change in the way South Koreans work. During the pandemic, many companies gradually introduced various forms of flexible work programmes, such as working from home, remote work, and hybrid work models.

The government further encouraged employers to allow their employees to work from home, in part through financial subsidies and incentives.

READ: November saw employment continue to rise in South Korea

Just until recently, the number of South Korean employees working under flexible work arrangements was less than one million, but by August 2021, this number had more than quadrupled, according to Statista.