Chapter 230: Side Story. Paid Leave on Workers' Day
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 230: Side Story. Paid Leave on Workers' Day
On May 1st, with the With List comeback just around the corner, I started a casual live stream with Park Ju-woo. Perhaps because it was a holiday, the viewer count was quite high despite the sudden afternoon start.
“Everyone, is the connection okay?”
≫ Guys, I can’t see you well, come out from behind the screen.
≫ It’s been a while since we’ve seen the Cling-on duo.
≫ Natural Magnet Squad is the best.
Because Park Ju-woo leaned his face against my shoulder so often, fans had started calling us nicknames like "Cling-ons" or "Magnets."
≫ Our Angel Clay Squad... looking pure white again today.
Right, there was that combination name too.
“...I guess they can see us well.”
After checking the comments on the tablet, Park Ju-woo turned his gaze back to the phone we were filming with.
I also set up a small whiteboard I had prepared beforehand so it was clearly visible on screen. Today’s conversation topics appeared on the screen in order.
≫ That whiteboard is so clean even though they use it all the time lol.
≫ Don’t ask them where the other members are. It says in item #2 that they’ll talk about the members’ status.
≫ Iwol’s handwriting is neater than mine, and I actually went to a calligraphy clinic to fix my chicken scratch.
Perhaps because the chat was moving faster than during the Flowering era, Park Ju-woo’s voice as he read the comments grew smaller and smaller.
However, having watched every single live stream during Spark’s peak, I wasn’t flustered by something like this.
Back then, you guys were so intense that with a ratio of seven Sparklers to three antis constantly biting at each other, every time Spark did a live, things like "Spark Malicious Comment War Part 3" would trend in real-time.
“I clean the whiteboard regularly with ethanol. It’s still clean, right? And thank you for the compliment on my handwriting. I’ll try to write even prettier next time!”
While we were chatting under the theme of ‘1. Sharing updates with fans,’ someone left a comment I couldn't just ignore.
≫ I want to watch the live while lying down too... Guys, please blow up my company.
It was a comment referencing the school-blowing-up teaser from Flowering. Park Ju-woo must have seen the same post, as he spoke up, looking flustered.
“Did a Sparkler go to work today...? We turned on this live to be your lunch buddies because we heard it was a holiday.”
“If there’s urgent work, that can happen. Or it could be because they work shifts or at a public institution.”
“Ah...”
Park Ju-woo nodded.
I didn't feel right. I said it like that, but what if the Sparkler who left that comment was the only one given an unfair work schedule? Or what if they worked at a company with more than five employees but were held back by that clause often found in labor contracts: ‘If necessary, the employer may substitute a weekly rest day with another day’?
I fell into thought for a moment. Then, telling Park Ju-woo to wait just a second, I returned with some wet wipes.
A holiday falling on a weekday was sweet as honey. Baek Hae-won, who had stayed up all night on her phone and slept until the sun was high in the sky, was woken up by Spark’s live notification.
Spark is truly amazing. I didn’t even go to school because it’s a discretionary holiday and I’ve been sleeping this whole time, but here you guys are, starting a live.
Still huddled under her blankets, Baek Hae-won watched Kim I-wol and Park Ju-woo’s live stream. Even in simple sweatshirts, their faces were as fair and translucent as white jade.
Given the duo, the live had a peaceful tension and flow.
Until Park Ju-woo asked a certain question.
『Did a Sparkler go to work today...? We turned on this live to be your lunch buddies because we heard it was a holiday.』
It was meant to be a lunch buddy live? Sorry, guys. I just woke up. I’ll watch the replay while I eat dinner later.
While Baek Hae-won was reflecting on her laziness, Kim I-wol exchanged a few more words with Park Ju-woo. Then he left his seat and returned in an instant holding wet wipes.
Our Iwol left his seat during a live! What kind of emergency happened?! Did he spill water or something?!
Kim I-wol began wiping the whiteboard with the wet wipes. The talk topics for today—communication, member updates, concept photo analysis—all vanished under the wipes.
『Ju-woo, can you give me a board marker?』
Park Ju-woo briskly handed him a marker. Taking it, Kim I-wol began writing without hesitation.
...Why does Ju-woo have that look on his face?
The expression on Park Ju-woo’s face as he watched Kim I-wol’s whiteboard was bizarre. Whatever it was, it was clear Kim I-wol wasn't writing anything ordinary. Meanwhile, Kim I-wol’s expression as he wrote was dead serious.
Kim I-wol wrote a few more words after asking the Sparklers for their understanding. The content finally revealed was as follows:
~Workers' Day Special: For a Healthy Work Life~
Ministry of Employment and Labor Customer Service Center: 1350
※ Please be sure to ask those around you for help if needed.
『People encounter various labor environments throughout their lives. And we are engaged in the entertainment business.』
『That’s... true.』
『As such, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to talk about these things together.』
Despite his verbal agreement, Park Ju-woo’s face was clearly clouded with confusion.
Me too, Ju-woo. I knew he was a bit eccentric, but your oldest brother is really strange.
『First, regarding the workplaces with fewer than five employees that we mentioned earlier.』
Kim I-wol worked hard to set the premises. After explaining that not all businesses with fewer than five employees have problems and citing examples of small startups that grew significantly, Kim I-wol finally got to the main point.
『In our country, workers belonging to workplaces with fewer than five employees have areas where it’s difficult to be legally protected. The regulation that one must have paid leave on public holidays does not apply to companies with fewer than five people.』
『Then there must be some office worker Sparklers who didn't get to rest today?』
『Workers' Day isn't a public holiday, but it is designated as a paid holiday. This means you get paid even if you don't go to work. However, if an employee at a workplace with five or more people works on Workers' Day, holiday work allowance applies, but employees at workplaces with fewer than five people cannot receive that additional allowance.』
Beyond that, Kim I-wol passionately explained to what extent the Labor Standards Act applies to workplaces with fewer than five employees and which problems were particularly significant.
By the time he reached the section on allowances and leave, one might have suspected Kim I-wol was about to cry.
『Besides regular labor allowance, the representative ones are overtime allowance, night shift allowance, and holiday work allowance, right? In workplaces with fewer than five people, these additional allowances are not mandatory. In workplaces with five or more people, there is an obligation to pay 1.5 times the regular wage for those allowances. Many companies abuse the comprehensive wage system to avoid this, but... whew.』
『If the obligation to properly provide overtime allowance disappears for companies that aren't even obligated to comply with the 52-hour work week, then employees' overtime work is bound to increase. Since annual leave isn't guaranteed either, the right to rest is severely restricted.』
Like someone who had just escaped a shitty small-time company, Kim I-wol endlessly vented about how malicious a company can become when it sets its mind to bypassing the law and how much the workers suffer under it.
The chat reaction was split in two.
≫ Iwol, calm down.
≫ Ju-woo, give Iwol some water.
≫ Teacher, this isn't a National Assembly audit.
The moderates, telling Kim I-wol to calm down and have some water...
≫ Play this video on an infinite loop on my company’s TV.
≫ Who made our baby work part-time at a shitty small-time firm? Come out right now and let us show you the bitter taste of revolution.
≫ Is this a high-level diss at UA? UA has more than five employees, right?
≫ Boss, are you watching? If you’re gonna make me work, at least pay me properly.
...And the radicals, demanding that the Labor Standards Act be amended and applied universally to guarantee the basic rights of Korean workers.
Spark’s live is more informative than school career counseling.
Are you guys who used to sneer and ask if stanning idols puts food on the table watching? Spark might not put food on the table, but they make sure you avoid life’s traps.
『Hyung, drink some of this...』
Park Ju-woo held out a mug to Kim I-wol. Even though steam was clearly visible, Kim I-wol downed the drink in one go as if it were cold water. Then, he let out a "Kwah..." sound like someone who had just downed a shot of hard liquor.
After Kim I-wol’s pinpoint lecture ended, HR and labor consultations poured in like a flood.
『"Iwol, my company does business splitting"... This is a very sensitive and delicate area for me to comment on carelessly, but if it's a company where labor issues are that visible, I recommend changing jobs if possible. You never know when or where a problem will explode.』
『If the company keeps hinting that they might be late with your severance pay, tell them you’ll apply for a severance pay payment order. It’ll take too long to explain substitute payments, so to put it simply...』
For the first time since the day Seong-bin went on a rampage during a live asking if everyone had seen yesterday's news, Hae-won's mind went blank. Only the shining faces of the boys in her sight managed to hold her sanity together.
Don't these two with the great voices know that if they keep saying difficult things, it just becomes ASMR? I might fall asleep watching the live at this rate.
≫ Kim Iwol, tell the truth. Where did you work part-time before?
Because the explanation was so vivid, the chat window was filled with people curious about Kim I-wol’s tracks before he became an idol.
I’m curious too.
It was fascinating enough when she first heard that a kid who was just normally attending school suddenly decided to become an idol and joined as a trainee, but now every office worker Sparkler was suspicious of Kim I-wol’s career history.
However, Kim I-wol was busy denying the fans' speculations.
『I didn't do many part-time jobs. I just picked all this up from hearing things... I’m embarrassed because I think I suddenly got too immersed.』
『...It was a bit too detailed to be just "picked up," wasn't it?』
『Let’s just move on quietly, Ju-woo.』
His mouth effectively shut, Park Ju-woo kept his lips tight. So cute. These little baby-soft white rice cake-like guys.
Afterward, the live transitioned to lighter topics. Occasionally, Kim I-wol would shout as if possessed, “Everyone, make sure to sign up for Occupation Planet in advance!” but other than that, it was all peaceful.
Today’s live is great, very law-abiding. Just as Baek Hae-won was rationalizing it that way, Kim I-wol read a new chat.
『"Guys, you’re working on Workers' Day too"? This live is something Ju-woo and I turned on because we wanted to. We don't think of it as work, so don't worry.』
『That’s right. We’re going to practice later... but that’s not work either.』
『To me, practice is a major life task, though.』
Damn, you guys are truly professional and cool idols. Compared to my ex-idol bastard who did nothing but hold his phone in the waiting room and only came on Bubble Pop once every two weeks, you guys are the best idols.
Baek Hae-won posted about thirty memes of a fist in a mouth crying on social media. Then she returned to the live and spammed the like button.
Before long, noise could be heard from beyond the screen. Park Ju-woo waved at the camera, saying the others seemed to have arrived. Starting with Lee Cheong-hyeon and Jeong Seong-bin, the members arrived one by one and greeted the camera.
『Workers' Day special? Didn't you say you were going to talk about the concept photos today?』
『That’s how it turned out.』
When Kim I-wol put on a straight face, Lee Cheong-hyeon burst into laughter. He seemed to think it had been a fun live, even if he didn't know exactly what had happened.
『We have to practice now, so we’ll end the live here. For serious legal consultation, see an expert! And we’re rooting for all the office workers out there!』
『Fighting...!』
The live ended with Kim I-wol and Park Ju-woo’s closing remarks.
Anyway, Kim I-wol’s love for experts is really something.
Baek Hae-won was left wondering whether she should be happy that her idol now had the "intellectual who is well-versed in the Labor Standards Act" trait.
It’s still a bit far off, but if I ever go to a company, I’ll definitely check the star rating on Occupation Planet before applying. And I’ll make sure to go somewhere that provides the four major insurances.
Baek Hae-won made a vow. It was a live stream as beneficial as Kim I-wol’s face was beautiful.