BAT Introduces 'Workation' Working from Vacation Spots Next Year
Philip Morris Implements Twice-Weekly Remote Work 'Smart Work'
KT&G Launches Sangsang Junior Board to Innovate Organizational Culture
[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] The tobacco industry is accelerating the adoption of flexible work styles and environments to enhance work efficiency and improve employees' work-life balance (WLB).
According to the industry on the 15th, BAT Rothmans will introduce a 'workation' system next year, allowing employees to work from vacation spots. The company explained that this was planned to strengthen flexible work arrangements and provide employees with a more efficient working environment than before.
To implement the system, BAT Rothmans will first operate a pilot program selecting five participants from full-time employees. The selected employees will stay at vacation spots for five days until next month, taking three days of annual leave and working remotely for two days. After the pilot program ends, the company plans to refine it based on feedback and officially introduce the program next year to establish a work environment that meets global standards.
Earlier, BAT Rothmans also established a 'smart office' through relocating its headquarters last month. To move away from standardized workspaces and create a flexible and creative collaborative environment, the company introduced a 'hot desk' system operated by a free seating policy and expanded various collaboration spaces that can be used according to work characteristics or personal preferences, such as 1-2 person phone booths for non-face-to-face remote meetings.
Korea Philip Morris also introduced a 'smart work' system in May to provide employees with a flexible work environment. Centered on working from home twice a week, the smart work system has been officially implemented after a three-month pilot operation. Additionally, the company operates a 4.5-day workweek system where employees work one hour longer from Monday to Thursday and only in the morning on Fridays, as well as an online 'Well-being Hour' lecture series on health, cooking, and financial tips held on Thursday afternoons.
KT&G launched the second term of the 'Sangsang Junior Board,' which operates for ten months, in June to diagnose and innovate organizational culture. The first term of the Sangsang Junior Board achieved organizational culture improvements by actively communicating with management based on diverse employee opinions, promoting flexible work, strengthening psychological care for members, and running the 'Modern Leader' program that suggests leadership suited to recent trends.
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