Park Jung-ho's Special Order... SKT "Work Only 4 Days a Week, Once a Month"

Jung-ho Park, President of SK Telecom [Photo by SK Telecom]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] SK Telecom will implement a four-day workweek once a month starting this year, following the directive of President Park Jung-ho.

This month, employees will have a day off on the 17th. An SK Telecom official stated on the 16th, "Since last year, we have operated the 'Super Friday' system, where employees leave work at 3 p.m. on the third Friday of every week," adding, "This year, we renamed it 'Happy Friday' and on the third Friday of each month, except for minimal essential staff, most employees will not work."

Happy Friday is an idea proposed by President Park. With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the establishment of a smart work environment, it was judged that tasks that previously took 10 hours could be shortened and completed, leading to the decision to introduce a four-day workweek for one week each month. If the third Friday, when Happy Friday is observed, falls on a public holiday, the week may be postponed or moved forward by one week.

An SK Telecom official explained, "We have been operating a flexible work system allowing employees to freely set their commuting hours to meet 80 hours over two weeks," and added, "With the introduction of Happy Friday, employees will work an additional 30 minutes to one hour on other days starting this year." They also noted, "Employee satisfaction has increased with the implementation of the once-a-month four-day workweek."