Half of Korean workers receive work messages during vacation, survey finds

Nearly half of South Korean workers have received work-related messages while on vacation, a new survey shows — and more than half of those contacted ended up doing the work anyway, raising fresh concerns about violations of workers' right to rest.

Workplace harassment watchdog Jikjang Gapjil 119 announced Sunday that a survey of 1,000 employed adults aged 19 and older, conducted nationwide from June 1 to June 9 by polling firm Global Research, found that 48.8 percent of respondents had been contacted about work during their vacation.

Among those contacted, 37.7 percent said they handled the work immediately from home or a cafe, while 15.8 percent said they went into the office or returned to their work site to deal with it. Taken together, more than half of those reached during their time off ended up working, effectively having their right to rest violated.

The survey found that the likelihood of being contacted during vacation rose with income, seniority and tenure. Among workers earning 5 million won ($3,470) or more per month, 61.2 percent reported being contacted; among mid-level managers, the figure reached 69.8 percent; and among those with five or more years on the job, it stood at 57.1 percent.

One worker told Jikjang Gapjil 119 that a team leader had repeatedly demanded via messenger that they upload work documents during their vacation. "I ultimately ended up working during my annual leave and sending replies on the messenger," the worker said.

Another worker said their company had cut staff so aggressively that employees were being pressured to work after hours, and were required to respond to work messages and attend meetings even while on vacation.

Only 15.8 percent of those contacted during vacation said they informed the sender they were on leave and deferred the work.

Despite the widespread problem, legislative efforts to address it have stalled.

Bills to amend the Labor Standards Act — which would ban work instructions sent via phone calls, text messages or KakaoTalk outside of working hours — were introduced in July and September 2024 but remain pending in the National Assembly.

Jeong Hee-seong, a labor attorney at Jikjang Gapjil 119, said contacting workers outside of working hours — whether during vacation or after they have clocked out — "violates workers' right to rest and amounts to gapjil that forces unpaid labor."