Daily Overtime Cap for Civil Servants Abolished...Compensation Based on Hours Worked and Stricter Oversight Enhanced

Civil servants' overtime work, which was previously capped at 4 hours per day, will now be compensated based on actual hours worked without restrictions. Management and supervision to prevent fraudulent claims will be strengthened significantly.

The Ministry of Personnel Management (Minister Choi Dong-seok) announced on the 15th that an amendment to the 'Regulations on Civil Servant Allowances' has been approved at the Cabinet Meeting.

The main provision of the amendment, which takes effect next month on the 1st, is to eliminate the overtime cap and allow civil servants to be fairly compensated based on actual hours worked. The existing daily cap of 4 hours for overtime allowances will be abolished, allowing compensation based on actual hours worked. However, a monthly limit of 57 hours will be maintained to guarantee civil servants' right to rest.

The overtime cap that was expanded to 100 hours per month in exceptional cases such as urgent matters will be abolished, and decision-making authority for exception approvals will be lowered from the relevant minister to department head level, enabling swift response to urgent situations.

Additionally, a new supplementary overtime allowance will be established to provide overtime compensation for exceeding 25 hours per month to Grade 4 civil servants (multiple positions Grade 4) who handle actual work until promotion to section chief.

Previously, Grade 4 national civil servants who were not department heads received management allowances instead of overtime compensation. Going forward, they will be able to receive overtime allowances if the head of their respective agency designates them as recipients of the supplementary allowance in advance.

At the same time, management will be strengthened to prevent fraudulent overtime claims. To prevent unnecessary formal overtime work, civil servants will be required to register their actual work status at regular time intervals in the electronic personnel management system (e-sarang, insalang, etc.) during their shifts, and department heads will verify these records, strengthening accountability for both the individual and the department head.

Standards for penalizing fraudulent claims will also be tightened. Currently, disciplinary action must be requested only after two or more violations, but going forward, disciplinary action will be mandatory for even a single fraudulent claim if the amount exceeds 500,000 won.

Additionally, following the amendment to the 'Civil Service Discipline Enforcement Rules,' disciplinary measures for fraudulent claims will be strengthened, with the monetary threshold for increased disciplinary levels lowered from the existing 1 million won to 500,000 won and above.

Furthermore, supervisor accountability standards will explicitly include fraudulent overtime claims, strengthening managers' oversight and accountability for their subordinates' overtime work.

Minister of Personnel Management Choi Dong-seok stated, "We will ensure that actual work performed receives fair compensation, while strictly managing unnecessary overtime."