The South Korean government will launch a new initiative to stop the “culture of working overtime” by shutting down computers at 8PM on Fridays so workers can go home when they’re supposed to, reports the BBC.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will roll out the program over the next three months, beginning on March 30th.
The program will have three stages: with a second stage from April when computers will be switched off at 7:30PM on the second and fourth Fridays of that month; and the final phase in May, when computers will be shut down by 7PM every Friday.
All employees are subjected to the conditions, though 67.1 percent of government workers have asked to be exempted from the shutdown.
The Korean government will consider exemptions in special circumstances.
Government workers in Korea reportedly work 2,738 hours a year, compared to the 1,763 hours the average public servant works in other developed countries.
It’s not the only government-sanctioned shutdown of electronics; South Korea has previously mandated shutdowns to prohibit Korean children from playing online video games between 12AM and 6AM. »
