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Tag: rest

  • Ring in New Year 2026 with a Four-Day Break: Boosting Rest, Spending, and Tourism

    Ring in New Year 2026 with a Four-Day Break: Boosting Rest, Spending, and Tourism

    Thursday, January 1, 2026, brings a national holiday to celebrate New Year’s Day. However, the jubilance of embarking on a fresh chapter may be dampened somewhat by the fact that the holiday falls in the middle of the week. This means that workers will return to the office for a day before once more enjoying a break over the weekend.

    An Auspicious Start

    The significance of New Year’s Day may differ from the vibrant Lunar New Year often celebrated in mid-February, but it still carries an aura of tranquility and renewal. It is a moment of introspection as people reflect on the past year and look forward to the new one with anticipation and optimism. This sentiment of hope and positivity is especially pertinent in navigating the complexities of contemporary life.

    A One-Day Holiday Conundrum

    However, as the holiday falls smack in the middle of the week, it presents an awkward predicament. A mere 24-hour respite may not suffice for workers wishing to travel, relax, or spend quality time with family and friends. The disruption in the regular work week can lead to feelings of wasted opportunities and rushed activities.

    Advocacy for Extended Breaks

    In response to this, there has been a recent proposal to allow students in Ho Chi Minh City to enjoy a four-day break for the New Year. An extension of such an initiative to the working population seems plausible and beneficial. Companies could allow employees to take Friday off and compensate by working on the preceding Saturday, December 27.

    This modification would not reduce the total number of working days, and it is unlikely to significantly impact business operations. The potential benefits of a longer break include a more meaningful holiday for millions of workers. It could also stimulate spending and boost the service and tourism sectors.

    Societal Implications

    The societal impact of such an arrangement could be far-reaching. The extended holiday period would enhance the shared festive spirit and positively impact the workforce’s wellbeing. The potential for increased spending and tourism could also stimulate economic growth.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the significance of New Year’s Day?
    New Year’s Day marks the start of a new year, offering a fresh start. It’s a time for people to reflect on the past year and look forward with hope and positivity to the year ahead.

    What is the issue with New Year’s Day falling on a weekday?
    When a holiday falls in the middle of the week, it can disrupt the regular work week and may not provide sufficient time for workers to rest or spend quality time with their families.

    How could extending the New Year’s holiday benefit society?
    An extended holiday could provide a more meaningful break for workers, stimulate spending, and boost the service and tourism sectors. This shared festive spirit could potentially enhance societal well-being and stimulate economic growth.

  • Asia’s Most Overworked Country Pushes For Right To Rest

    Asia’s Most Overworked Country Pushes For Right To Rest

    President Moon Jae-in’s drive to give South Koreans their “right to rest” by slashing work hours is making little headway as lawmakers haggle over pay rates for weekends.

    While the long hours were once considered necessary to fuel rapid economic growth, the grind is now seen as the source of the country’s social problems, including low birth rate and productivity. South Koreans work 2,069 hours a year, the second-most among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development members after Mexico.

    With the changing societal attitude toward work, Korea’s ruling and opposition party lawmakers reached a tentative agreement in November to cap weekly hours at 52, down from 68, and give an extra 50 percent in pay for weekends. Moon, who pledged to cut hours during his presidential campaign last spring, said the change “is a task that should not be delayed any more.”

    But the agreement failed to reach the plenary session as some lawmakers and labor unions argued for doubling the extra pay for weekend work to 100%. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said in a statement that doubling pay for weekend work is necessary to reduce working on weekends, and an appropriate level of compensation for those who must do so.

    If lawmakers fail to revise the labor law by Dec. 23, which seems likely, parliament may not be able to pick it up again until February at the earliest. A prolonged debate could put Moon’s “right to rest” initiative on a permanent holding pattern as was seen with much of former President Park Geun-hye’s legislative agenda.

    Improve Productivity

    As lawmakers argue over weekend wages, some employers say that while they agree with the need to shorten working hours, the changes should be more gradual. Kim Young-vae, vice chairman of the Korea Employers Federation, said at a forum on Dec. 14 that the change should first be applied to bigger companies with more than 1,000 employees, and that a 60-hour cap should be allowed at companies that have reached agreement with their employees.

    “Shorter working hours are necessary for the sake of happiness, but it needs to be discussed along with ways to improve labor productivity,” said Kim Tai-gi, a professor of economics at Dankook University in Jukjeon, South Korea. “Without better productivity, it would have side effects like a decline in income for workers and an increased cost burden for employers.”

    Labor productivity, as measured by total working hours and per capita GDP, was $33 per hour for Korea in 2016, compared with $24 for Chile, $41.5 for Japan, $60 for France, and $63 for the U.S., according to OECD data.

    Not all workers welcome the move toward fewer hours.

    Shinsegae Group, South Korea’s retail giant, has announced it will reduce regular weekday working hours to 35 per week from 40 with no cut in wages from 2018. But some labor unions for Shinsegae’s discount store unit, E-mart, say it will only increase the burden on workers because they will be required to complete the same workload in fewer hours. They said that by 2020, the employees could also be paid less than others who are working longer hours and receiving the minimum 10,000 won per hour promised by President Moon during the campaign.