
The practice of subordinates pooling money to treat their bosses to lunch faces discontinuation amid complaints from younger civil servants
In a typical hierarchical organization in South Korea, whether public or private, it is generally expected that senior workers will pick up the bill for their juniors. But in some bureaucracies, this expectation is reversed, with subordinates taking turns treating their boss to a meal.
The practice, called “treat the boss day,” has unclear origins, but it has traditionally been seen as a way to build rapport with one’s boss and foster more open communication -- something that can be difficult in a rigid office hierarchy. However, it is now falling out of favor as younger civil servants see no need for it.
Park Eun-hye (not her real name), who has worked at a local government office for more than 20 years, said her office has been observing “treat the boss day" for as long as she can remember.
At her office, lunch is a communal activity. Almost everyone eats with their teammates, and the cost is covered by a team fund that all members contribute to each month.
“If employees don’t eat with the division chief, they’re left to eat alone. So teams take turns having meals with the chief,” said Park, who is in her 40s. Her team ends up treating the boss to lunch two or three times a month.
She thinks the practice is not entirely bad. “We can discuss work with our bosses and build relationships with them. Older employees like me -- we're accustomed to the practice and tend to just go along with it.”
Complaints grew noticeably after her organization got rid of its cafeteria. The previous head of the organization removed it to boost the local economy by encouraging employees to eat at local restaurants.
Her juniors, particularly those born in the 1990s, complain about having to pay for their bosses despite barely earning the minimum wage.
Aware of these complaints, supervisors are uncomfortable accepting lunch invitations. “Some bosses chip in money, some treat their employees, and others simply say they’ll eat at home,” Park said.
On the anonymous workplace discussion app Blind, users have posted hundreds of comments about this practice. One user, in a post about five months ago, complained about the cost of "treat the boss day" in his two-member team, where he and his team leader have to cover meals and coffee for their division chief. "This is so stressful. I don’t understand why such a day exists," the user wrote. Hundreds of comments followed, most of them calling for the practice to be abolished.
A survey released last month by the Interior Ministry showed that one in five civil servants had participated in this practice in recent years.
This survey, conducted in November last year on 150,000 government officials, found that 18.1 percent had participated in the practice within the past year. Officials in regional governments (23.9 percent) were more likely to experience the practice than those in the central government (10.1 percent).
In terms of frequency, 41.5 percent of respondents said it occurred one or two times per week, followed by 40 percent who said one or two times per month, while 12.6 percent said once or twice per quarter and 5.6 percent said once a year.
When asked why the practice persists, 37.8 percent said, “It’s a tradition that has continued from the past.” Another 26.2 percent said it's because “supervisors are the main agents of human resources reshuffles and performance evaluations,” while 19.3 percent said “it's an opportunity for conversation and communication.” About 12.5 percent said it's because “supervisors have a hard time eating alone.”
The survey showed that an overwhelming majority opposes it. Ninety-one percent of respondents said the practice is unnecessary.
In response to the survey, the Interior Ministry said it would work with the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission to eradicate the practice.
Hwang Myung-suk, head of the ministry’s government innovation division, said, “We have confirmed that some organizations still observe the tradition of treating supervisors. We will actively work with relevant agencies to eliminate outdated practices that no longer align with current circumstances.”