Can you ban KakaoTalk after work… The rise of the ‘right not to be connected’

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• on May 30, 2023

Right to disconnect: reexamination of after-hours work
Can KakaoTalk be banned after work… The rise of the ‘right to disconnect’

Korea JoongAng Daily, Page 5
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

The right to disconnect from work is a rising concern among employees wanting to separate work from their personal time, which has prompted some companies and the government to reexamine this blurred line.

reexamine: reexamine
blurred: blurred, indistinguishable

The “right to be unconnected,” or the right to not be contacted about work outside of business hours, has gained traction among workers who want to keep their work and personal lives separate. In response, some companies and governments are beginning to reexamine this blurred line.

“I feel frustrated when my boss gives work orders via KakaoTalk after I leave the office,” a 31-year-old surnamed Kim told the JoongAng Ilbo Thursday. “My boss said ‘Don’t worry about it if you are busy,’ but the fear of what might happen if I didn’t comply, compelled me to keep working.”

frustrated: irritated, unhappy, dissatisfied스포츠토토
comply: abhängen, abhängen
compel: übertragen, übertragen, übertragen, übertragen.

“I get frustrated when my boss gives me work instructions on KakaoTalk after work,” Kim, a 31-year-old employee, told the JoongAng Daily on Thursday. “He says he doesn’t care if he’s busy, but I can’t help but fear the aftermath.”

An employee of another company, 34, claimed she was reprimanded by her boss for not replying to a work message in a group chatroom after work hours.

reprimand: reprimand
chatroom: (Internet) chatroom, chatroom

A 34-year-old worker at another company said she was reprimanded for not replying to a message from her boss in a departmental chatroom after work.

Of the 415 people surveyed by the job portal JobKorea between March 14 and April 5, 64.3 percent said they “frequently” do additional work at home even after leaving the office. Of those surveyed, 6.7 percent said they have never worked at home beyond work hours.

When job portal Job Korea surveyed office workers last month, 64.3 percent said they “frequently do additional work” at home even after leaving the office. Only 6.7 percent said they never work at home beyond work hours.

The government is looking at prohibiting workrelated messages after work hours, in line with the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s push for labor reforms. The Labor Ministry in March launched a task force to probe into measures to secure rights around disconnecting after work hours and pledged to draw up a policy plan within this year. Some companies attempt to reform their corporate structure by banning unpaid overtime work.

pledge: promise
probe into: scrutinize
measure: Überprüfen, Überprüfen
secure: sichern
corporate structure: 企業構造
overtime work: overtime labor

As a continuation of Yoon’s labor reforms, the government is considering banning work-related KakaoTalk after work. The Ministry of Employment, Labor and Welfare launched the Right to Not Be Connected TF in March and said it would come up with a policy within the year. Some companies are campaigning to improve their corporate culture by banning unpaid work after hours.

LG Electronics began a cultural reform campaign in May last year to encourage employees to only communicate using a separate company messenger when discussing work online. The home appliance maker advises its employees to use collaboration software to reduce unnecessary meetings and briefings.

home appliance: Home appliances

The home appliance maker advises its employees to use collaboration software to reduce unnecessary meetings and briefings.

Samsung Electronics encourages employees to separate work from personal time by using a company messenger when having work-related discussions. The messenger displays an alert message with “the hour is late” notice to those accessing the messenger between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.