No more 'golden holiday': Most employees required to work day after Labor Day



 

 
For many office workers in Korea, one day stands out on the May calendar — May 2 — the Friday sandwiched between Children's Day and the preceding Labor Day.
 
Unlike the extended nine-day Lunar New Year in January, however, most employees of Korea's major companies are set to work that day, with few enjoying a full six-day “golden holiday.”

 
Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Posco and Shinsegae (including Emart) are leaving May 2 up to employee discretion. In practice, this means normal operations, as these companies already allow the flexible use of annual leave. This contrasts with the Lunar New Year in January, during which companies such as Hyundai Motor, LG Electronics, Hanwha Solutions, Korean Air, LS and Doosan Enerbility declared Jan. 31 a company-wide holiday, creating an extended nine-day break.

 
Some firms are encouraging employees to take May 2 off, including SK Innovation, LG Electronics, Hanwha, HD Hyundai, GS Caltex, LS and Doosan.

 
“The company encourages employees to use their annual leave during bridge holidays. Many are expected to take May 2 off,” a representative from GS said.

 
Among the 10 top Korean conglomerates, Lotte, especially its mart and supermarket divisions, is the only group to officially designate May 2 a company-wide holiday.

 
The top 20 conglomerates would include Korean Air. The airline designates “sandwich days” — workdays between public holidays — as official holidays in advance. This year, those dates include not only May 2, but also Jan. 31 and Oct. 10, the Fridays following the Lunar New Year and the Chuseok harvest festival.
 

Labor Day’s legal classification also plays a role. Though it is a paid holiday, it is not a statutory public holiday, which means employees who work that day can receive additional pay.

 
On to a 2024 survey job portal site Incruit conducted on 1,076 employees, 24.3 percent of respondents said they were scheduled to work on Labor Day. The number rose to 41.3 percent among workers at companies with fewer than five employees, compared to 14.9 percent at companies with more than 1,000 employees.

 
Of those who said they would work on Labor Day, 37.2 percent said they received neither holiday pay nor comp time in exchange.

 

Source : https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2025-04-23/national/socialAffairs/No-more-golden-holiday-Most-employees-required-to-work-day-after-Labor-Day/2292036

Comprehension

What is significant about May 2 on the Korean calendar this year?
Why is it called a “sandwiched” or “bridge” holiday?
How did companies treat Jan. 31 during the Lunar New Year holiday?
What is the approach of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Posco, and Shinsegae toward May 2?
Which company officially designated May 2 a company-wide holiday?
What is unique about Korean Air’s treatment of bridge holidays?
Why do some employees receive additional pay on Labor Day?
What percentage of survey respondents said they would work on Labor Day?
How does company size affect whether employees work on Labor Day?
Among those who work on Labor Day, what proportion reported not receiving extra pay or time off?

Discussion

Do you think it’s fair for companies to leave bridge holidays to employee discretion instead of declaring them holidays? Why or why not?
How would you feel about working on a day like May 2, between two public holidays?
What are the pros and cons of a flexible annual leave system?
Should all workers be given the same holidays regardless of company size?
How does work culture affect people’s willingness to take time off in Korea?
Do you think more countries should implement policies for bridge holidays?
How can employers balance productivity and employee well-being during the holiday season?
What could be done to ensure fair compensation for people who work on paid holidays like Labor Day?
How do you personally spend holidays that are not official days off but feel like they should be?
What do long holiday breaks (like the Lunar New Year) mean for you — rest, travel, or something else?

Vocabulary

Sandwiched holiday – A workday that falls between two public holidays.
Discretion – The freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.
Conglomerate – A large corporation that consists of multiple different businesses.
Statutory – Required, permitted, or enacted by law.
Annual leave – Paid time off from work that employees can use for vacation or personal days.
Encourage – To give support, confidence, or hope to someone.
Comp time – Time off given instead of overtime pay for extra hours worked.
Bridge holiday – A day off taken between a public holiday and a weekend.
Flexible – Able to change or be adjusted easily.
In exchange – As a substitute or trade for something else.