Elderly to get reduced working hours

By Yi Whan-woo

The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to allow workers aged 50 and over to reduce their working hours.

The ministry said Tuesday that the government has approved a plan for elderly workers to cut their hours to between 15 and 30 per week, shorter than the current 40-hour work week.

The measure is designed to help reduce working hours for elderly workers, especially those working at factories or construction sites. It is also aimed at providing more job opportunities for the unemployed.

The measure comes in response to recent reports about an increasing number of laborers retiring at the age of 53. Employers will be required to allow employees in their 50s and older to work less if they have worked at their company for more than one year. The ministry said it will also reduce the maximum number of weekly overtime working hours to 12.

Firms can only turn down the request when they cannot find substitutes to replace an employee or the reduced working hours will bring “significant” damage to management of the company.

The companies, including conglomerates with over 300 employees, also have to offer them job training or a job position at a different company when they retire or get laid off in the event of restructuring.

Employers will be excused from offering such programs if they extend the retirement age of their workers. They will also be given subsidies.

“The reduced working hours for employees in their 50s and older is expected to create more jobs for the unemployed in the same age group,” an official said. “We want to implement a ‘job sharing’ policy through this program.”