KWDI Korean Women’s Development Institute

This study focuses on part-time work, one of the most attracting rules related to flexible working in public sector. We seek to find ways to link between part-time contingent public employees and replacement worker on childcare leave users in public sector in terms of four fitness levels: job type fitness, capability fitness, time divide fitness, divided accountability fitness.

The results of the study are as follows. First, both personnel staff and public servants sympathize the need of introducing and expanding part-time temporary public servants. At the same time, Most of them estimate it is impossible that part-time contingent public employees apply to all position. Second, there is an negative perception to using part-time contingent public employees at the managerial position. the possibility of utilizing part-time contingent public servants at the practitioner positions vary according to tasks done. Third, at the perspective of capability fitness level, jobs such as collecting simple information, administering documents and communicating customers show higher fitness level to part-time contingent public worker. Meantime, jobs like demanding the capability of preparing strategic alternative plan and the capability of coordinating relevant departments indicate lower fitness levels. Fourth, at the view of fitness levels in time divide, jobs of daily and patterned administration support and jobs of operating shift system are more relevant to part-time contingent public servants. But, jobs of handling time pressure business, requiring very frequent report, working regular overtime, and dealing project-based tasks are less relevant to part-time contingent public servants. Fifth, at the perspective of fitness level in divided accountability, jobs in focusing on professional behavior norms and values show lower fitness level to part-time contingent public employees.

Based on the above research findings, we propose the following policy suggestions. First, in the short term, it is necessary to prepare rules specifying the way of systematic utilization to job types having higher fitness level. In the long term, the alternative to increase fitness levels in job types will be designed. Second, we suggest three things to assure fitness level of accountability: developing task manual, appointing task relevant mentor, building performance system. Third, it is necessary to review three perspective measures for clearly undertaking and transferring tasks: providing task relevant orientation, writing document of conducting business, appointing a person who control the undertaking and transfer of tasks. Fourth, this study suggests there is a need to prepare the ways of hiring different or additional replacement workers according to positions related to childcare leave.