"Every Monday, I Watch a Movie Before Going to Work" [4-Day Workweek Era ⑤]

Tried a 4-Day Workweek... "Increased Focus and Creativity in Work"

# Kim Hyun-sung (pseudonym), who works at a domestic IT company, has become deeply engrossed in the joy of watching a movie on Monday mornings. While other office workers rush to work, he leisurely heads to the theater. Unlike weekends, the quiet theater provides the perfect conditions for focusing on the film. Taking a trip to the theater on a Monday, which he never dared to do except on holidays, somehow makes the weekend feel extended. After watching the movie and having lunch with his family, he heads to work with plenty of stories to share. 'The Era of a 4-Day Workweek'

For office workers who start their busy week determined to live fiercely through it, watching a movie on Monday morning was once unthinkable unless it was a holiday. However, such things that were only imagined are now becoming possible. This is due to the spread of the 4-day workweek, especially in the IT industry. Companies that have previously adopted the 4-day workweek give positive evaluations, noting increased employee focus and creativity. However, since most companies are still in the pilot phase, concerns about productivity decline and performance drops remain.

Work-life balance (Image=Getty Images Bank)

◆High Employee Satisfaction with the 4-Day Workweek=From this year, Woowa Brothers, which introduced a 32-hour workweek, has Monday working hours from 1 PM to 5 PM. The rest of the weekdays are from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. Woowa Brothers explained that the 1 PM start on Mondays allows employees to handle personal tasks they usually cannot do in the morning, or enjoy hobbies such as walking, watching movies, or exercising. The reduction in working hours at Woowa Brothers has been verified gradually over time. In 2015, they introduced a 4.5-day workweek with a 1 PM start on Mondays, and since 2017, they have been implementing a 35-hour workweek. A Woowa Brothers representative said, "The 32-hour workweek means that our core value of ‘autonomy above discipline’ is well maintained," adding, "We have created an environment where employees can focus better and practice work-life balance."

Education companies Eduwill and Hunet, startups Millie’s Library, and Endorphin Connect have also adopted the 4-day workweek. Hunet has been operating a 4.5-day workweek since 2019 and started a pilot 4-day workweek this year, allowing employees to freely choose one day off per week. They judged that reducing working hours as a welfare policy increased employee engagement and productivity, as evidenced by record-high performance during the 4.5-day system.

The reading platform Millie’s Library introduced a biweekly 4-day workweek in January. The second and third Wednesdays of each month are off days. Last year, in May, June, and December, the company reduced overall workload and implemented a 4-day workweek as a rest season, which helped employees recharge, leading to the official adoption of the biweekly 4-day system. Millie’s Library employees show high satisfaction in terms of work-life balance. One employee said, "Taking Wednesdays off reduced the burden of Monday mornings, and the shorter working hours allowed me to focus on both work and rest," adding, "Above all, it’s great to have time for everyday tasks like bank errands and graduate school classes."

SK Group affiliates SK Telecom and SK Square also expanded their ‘Happy Friday’ system from once a month to twice a month starting this month. Previously, employees who worked over 80 hours in two weeks could take one Friday off per month. Now, they have introduced a biweekly 4-day workweek while maintaining 40 hours per week and full pay. These affiliates cited high employee satisfaction during the pilot phase as the reason for adopting the biweekly 4-day system. An SK Group official explained, "The response from employees at affiliates that first implemented Happy Friday was positive, and performance was good," adding, "We are proceeding with a direction where each affiliate autonomously chooses and operates the Happy Friday system according to their circumstances."

Workation (Image=Getty Images Bank)

◆Concerns about Productivity Decline Dispelled with Record-Breaking Performance=Innovations in work systems are not limited to the 4-day workweek. There is also ‘workation,’ which combines work and vacation. E-commerce company TMON operates a ‘workation’ program in Jeju, Busan, and Namhae. Since it can last up to five days, employees can stay for nine days locally by utilizing weekends, combining work and rest. Yanolja also implements a workation system where employees work from vacation spots. Additionally, recruitment management solution startup Doodlin introduced a flexible work system where employees can leave freely without completing 8 hours if they work from 11 AM to 5:30 PM.

Some express concerns about productivity decline. However, so far, the effects have been mostly positive rather than adverse. Eduwill’s sales increased by 25% after adopting the 4-day workweek, and employment creation also grew by more than 20% annually. Kakao Games, which expanded its ‘Play Friday’ system to a biweekly 4-day workweek, steadily grew its performance, recording a record-high sales of 1.0125 trillion KRW and operating profit of 114.3 billion KRW last year.

The IT startup industry also views such work systems as incentives for attracting key talent. According to a survey conducted by startup Publy targeting IT industry workers on the ‘most desired welfare system,’ more than half chose the ‘4-day workweek.’ This was followed by ‘remote/hybrid work,’ ‘flexible paid leave,’ and ‘workation.’ Kim Kwang-jong, Publy Career Lead, said, "Recently, innovative welfare has become an essential condition for choosing a company," adding, "Supporting better work environments and improving employee efficiency also enhances corporate trust."