Environment ministry considers flexible work system to tackle heavy fine dust days – Beragampengetahuan

A gray hue descends on a street in Jongno District, Seoul, as an ultrafine dust warning has been issued, Feb. 12. Yonhap

By Jung Da-hyun

A flexible work system, including telecommuting or taking leave on days with high concentrations of fine dust, may be implemented starting this March, according to the environment ministry, Thursday.

In response to elevated levels of fine dust, the government plans to officially announce its initiative next week to effectively address the recurring issue during spring.

The Ministry of Environment has outlined a recommendation to encourage telecommuting or taking leave from work when the concentration of ultrafine dust reaches 50 micrograms or more per cubic meter on average per day. This initiative will follow the same standard as issuing emergency reduction measures for high concentrations of fine dust.

The ministry is currently discussing who will be subject to this initiative.

In response to elevated levels of fine dust, the government has previously made perfunctory recommendations to refrain from outdoor activities. However, the current focus on addressing fine dust is centered on implementing flexible working arrangements.

The crux of this initiative lies in minimizing exposure to fine dust. Much like the transition to remote work and online meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic aimed at reducing viral exposure, the government now aims to flexibly adapt work arrangements on days with severe fine dust pollution.

The ministry has reportedly finalized discussions with local governments and is now actively collaborating with other relevant ministries.

In a bid to combat fine dust pollution, the government is encouraging the utilization of annual leave, reducing business trips and promoting the use of video conferencing. Since emergency reduction measures for fine dust are typically declared one or two days in advance, these preliminary measures are expected to be implemented on days when high levels of fine dust are anticipated.

Last year in Seoul, there were a total of six days when fine dust emergency reduction measures were implemented. Therefore, the impact on industries due to the flexible work arrangements is expected to be minimal.

The government’s heightened response to fine dust pollution here is being prompted due to an increase in fine dust coming from China after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. As factories in China are operating at higher capacity rates, there has been a noticeable increase in the influx of fine dust coming to Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol urged related ministries, including the environment ministry, Tuesday, to diligently prepare for fine dust, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations such as children and seniors, as well as indoor areas frequented by large numbers of people.

However, as the initiative relies on recommendations rather than coercion, and there are no specific mechanisms to encourage private companies to actively adopt flexible work, its effectiveness this coming spring, therefore, remains somewhat uncertain.