"Once a Month, Four-Day Workweek" SK Telecom Selected as an Excellent Work-Life Balance Company

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] SK Telecom, which designates the third Friday of every month as ‘Happy Friday’ to allow all employees to take a day off, has been named an excellent company for ‘Work-Life Balance (a state where work and personal life are harmoniously balanced).’

On the 24th, SK Telecom announced that it was selected as an ‘Excellent Company’ at the 5th ‘Work-Life Balance Conference’ hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Along with SK Telecom, a total of 23 companies and public institutions, including SK Innovation, were selected.

SK Telecom is promoting ‘Work Anywhere,’ allowing all employees to work freely regardless of their location, whether at home, the office, or a hub office. This year, it established ‘hub offices’ in five areas: Euljiro, Jongno, Seodaemun, Bundang, and Pangyo, and plans to expand this so employees can commute to a hub office within 10 to 20 minutes from home instead of going to headquarters.

Additionally, the company operates the Happy Friday system, where employees work four days a week and rest on Friday once a month. The DYWT (Design Your Work & Time) system, introduced last year, allows employees to design their own working hours to increase work immersion and has received positive evaluations. According to a survey of employees, over 60% responded that productivity improved after the introduction of these systems. Furthermore, SK Telecom has introduced policies that help employees balance work and family life, such as shortened working hours during pregnancy and childcare leave for children entering school. Since last October, both male and female employees have been able to take parental leave for up to two years.

SK Telecom proactively introduced ICT-based digital work immediately after the COVID-19 outbreak and became the first major domestic company to implement company-wide remote work in February. Even amid the recent spread of COVID-19, the company plans to maintain business continuity based on the prepared ‘Work Anywhere’ approach.

Shin Sang-gyu, Head of SK Telecom’s Corporate Culture Center, stated, “During the recent COVID crisis, we led the industry by implementing the first remote work system in Korea, and we will continue to strive for a society where work and family coexist.” He added, “We will actively research and proactively implement various work-life balance measures to enhance employee happiness and social value.”