South Korean firms extend breaks, adjust schedules amid record heat

Record-breaking temperatures in South Korea are forcing companies to adapt their workplaces, introducing longer breaks and adjusted schedules to prevent heat-related injuries and fatalities. The Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service reported 195 heat-related occupational accidents, including 20 deaths, between 2022 and June 2026, with the peak summer months of July and August typically seeing the highest numbers.

Businesses are facing increased legal and regulatory pressure to protect workers, especially after a 2025 court conviction against a construction company for a heatstroke death under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. This marked the first conviction of its kind. Construction firms, which have a high rate of industrial fatalities, are among those implementing new measures. Hyundai Engineering & Construction rewards employees for taking breaks, while Lotte E&C uses an IoT-based monitoring system to classify heat risks. Daewoo E&C allows workers to stop working if they feel unwell without penalty.

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The measures also reveal a divide between large employers able to invest in protection and workers at smaller and outdoor worksites who remain exposed.

Special attention is being given to migrant workers, with Hyundai E&C distributing emergency guides in multiple languages and providing cooling vests. Companies like Kumho E&C are partnering to supply essential items such as bottled water and portable shelters at construction sites through September. For heavy industries that cannot halt operations, such as steel production, stricter work-and-rest schedules are being enforced. Posco and Hyundai Steel have implemented specific rest periods based on perceived temperatures, ensuring workers have time to cool down when heat exceeds certain thresholds.

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It was the first conviction under the law involving a heatstroke death.