YONHAP NEWS

Gov't to run flexible work schedule for civil servants

SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- Government employees will be conditionally allowed to work three or four days a week or even at home under a flexible work schedule aimed at increasing productivity, the home affairs ministry said Tuesday.

   The new system, set to be introduced in the second half of the year, also allows public servants to choose their own starting hours between seven and 10 in the morning.

   "The government decided to introduce a flexible work system for its employees in the second half to increase the productivity of the government," Kim Sang-in, spokesman for the ministry, told Yonhap News Agency.

   The system is aimed at switching government priorities to being more concerned with the results of work put in by employees rather than just quantity by helping reduce commute costs and traffic congestion, officials said.

   Under the new system, civil servants can freely adjust their daily work schedule within the legally set limit of 40 hours a week and adopt a compressed work week, also known as a flex schedule, the ministry said.

   The flextime gives workers the benefit of an extra day off by allowing them to finish their usual number of working hours in fewer days per week.

   Workers who need to set aside a certain amount of time for childcare, house chores or self-development will be allowed to start their daily eight-hour work schedule between 7-10 in the morning, the ministry said.

   In addition, telecommuting will be introduced for public workers who can perform their work from home, or are physically disabled, working mothers or commute long distances, the ministry said.

   sshim@yna.co.kr
(END)