Guaranteeing Workers’ Weekend Rest Rights and Recognizing the Value of Weekend Labor

Korean Federation of Service Worker’s Union

Korea Institute of Labor Safety and Health

Translated by Hye-eun Lee

1. Background and Purpose
   This study was conducted to explore policy and legal improvement measures to guarantee workers’ weekend rest rights and to recognize the social value of weekend labor. South Korean society still operates under a structure of long working hours, and the lack of sufficient guarantees for weekend rest rights is particularly pronounced in the service industry. Department stores, large discount retailers, complex shopping malls, hotels, and resorts continue to operate on weekends and public holidays, with some establishments running year-round without closure. As a result, workers find it difficult to take time off even during national holidays, and often cannot fully rest on weekday days off due to work-related calls and interruptions. Workers in the tourism and leisure industries also live with work patterns misaligned with the average societal schedule, which leads to various negative effects, including deteriorating health, disconnection from family and social relationships, and restrictions on leisure activities.

Accordingly, this study has the following objectives:

• Identify the unique characteristics of the work and life of service industry workers who are required to work on weekends.
• Collect domestic and international standards and case studies for guaranteeing weekend rest rights.
• Propose directions for amending the Labor Standards Act to guarantee weekend rest rights.

2. Methods
   The study conducted both a survey and an analysis of laws and systems, primarily targeting union members from the Korean Federation of Service Workers’ Union. An online survey, conducted from March 18 to April 2, 2024, gathered responses from a total of 2,721 participants, including 2,516 from the Retail and Wholesale Division and 205 from the Tourism and Leisure Division. The questionnaire covered topics such as the frequency and patterns of weekend work, availability of consecutive days off, regularity of working hours, health status (sleep and depression), job stress, satisfaction with work–life balance, as well as the reality of compensation for weekend work and the use of annual leave. The results were analyzed in comparison with the 2022 Work–Life Balance Survey and the 2020 Working Conditions Survey.

In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted with selected members who had experience with weekend work, in order to gain detailed insights into their work patterns, the impact on daily life and health, the state of compensation, and their demands for institutional improvement. Furthermore, the study reviewed domestic and international legislation related to weekend rest rights, ILO standards, regulations and court rulings in other countries, as well as domestic collective agreement cases, to derive institutional implications.

3. Results 
   

1) Weekend Work

The survey results revealed that approximately 90% of respondents worked at least twice a month on both Saturdays and Sundays, with the average number of weekend workdays per month reaching 5.6 For Saturdays, 80% of respondents reported working three or more times per month, while for Sundays, over 88% worked at least twice a month. In terms of days off, 80% of respondents said they could secure two or more consecutive days off only twice a month or less, and 7.4% reported that they were unable to obtain any consecutive days off at all. Only 57% indicated that their number of workdays was consistent each week, suggesting that a significant proportion of workers were in irregular work environments.

2) Impact on Health and Daily Life
In terms of health and daily life, the average amount of sleep reported was 6.1 hours on weekdays and 7.9 hours on weekends. A total of 66% of respondents reported experiencing insomnia symptoms, and 17% showed moderate or higher levels of depressive symptoms. Notably, the work–life balance score of the group working five or more weekends per month was 3.6, significantly lower than the 4.2 score of those working four weekends or fewer per month. The proportion of respondents who said that job stress spilled over into family or personal life, as well as the proportion who felt they could not be fully committed to their family relationships, was also significantly higher in the group working more than four weekends per month.

3) Compensation and Substitute Leave
Only a small proportion of workplaces provided separate allowances or substitute leave for weekend work. The main reasons cited for being unable to use annual leave on weekends included feeling guilty or concerned about overburdening colleagues (48%) and apprehension about supervisors’ reactions (27%). Workers who found it difficult to take weekend leave showed a significantly higher frequency of working on Saturdays and Sundays, and also reported less favorable results in work–life balance satisfaction and mental health indicators.

4) Work Intensity and Job Satisfaction
In terms of work intensity, 59% of respondents reported working at a very fast pace on weekends, and 56% reported being under strict deadline pressure—both significantly higher than on weekdays. Overall, 69% expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs, and only 10% felt they were receiving appropriate compensation. These findings indicate a vicious cycle in which excessive weekend work, heightened work intensity, deteriorating work–life balance, and poor compensation contribute to workforce attrition and hinder new recruitment.

5) Legal and Institutional Analysis
Although the current Labor Standards Act stipulates a weekly holiday, it does not include provisions guaranteeing consecutive weekend rest. In industries classified as exceptions to working hours regulations, weekend work has become routine. While some collective bargaining agreements specify restrictions on weekend work or mandate the payment of allowances, their application remains limited in scope.

Looking at international examples, countries such as Germany and France stipulate by law a minimum of 24 to 48 consecutive hours of rest and mandate higher rates of pay for weekend work. The International Labour Organization (ILO) also recommends a minimum of 24 consecutive hours of rest and a total week rest period of 48.

4. Policy Recommendations and Conclusion
It is necessary to mandate a minimum of 24 consecutive hours of weekend rest in legislation, and, if possible, to guarantee up to 48 hours. In addition, legislation should require weekend work allowances to be paid at a certain percentage above the regular wage; mandate the provision of compensatory time off equal to the hours worked on weekends; require that work schedules be announced at least two weeks in advance to improve predictability; and concurrently implement public awareness campaigns to communicate the necessity and value of weekend work while reducing unnecessary weekend labor.

The right to weekend rest is not merely a matter of welfare but a fundamental right directly linked to workers’ rights to health, family life, and cultural participation. While unavoidable weekend work should be recognized as having social value, appropriate compensation and sufficient rest commensurate with that value must be provided. To achieve this, legal and institutional improvements and broad social consensus are urgently needed.