Companies allowing work from home South Korea 2020, by industry

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2020, approximately 66.7 percent of companies in the finance and insurance as well as arts, sports, and recreation related industries supported working from home in reaction to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in South Korea. The share of companies allowing working from home was high in the industries in which remote work was possible, such as finance and insurance, education, and telecommunications. Over 60 percent of large companies in South Korea implemented or were planning to support working from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 Change spurred by the pandemic

Survey results showed that Korean employees were calling for more flexibility in their working conditions for at least a few years. The unprecedented circumstances brought about by COVID-19 have forced the hand of companies into allowing remote work to protect both their employees and their business. Company dinners, widely considered an integral yet stress-inducing facet of company life in South Korea, were largely reduced as part of various policy changes enacted by companies during the pandemic.

 Economic hardships 

Gig workers have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, with many having lost their jobs, and in turn their primary source of income. Even employees that were able to keep their job have resorted to other means to make up for their decreased income. With the global economy dipping downwards, the role of governments and policy makers will be more important than ever.