Hanil Cement, Hunet, and Koad Introduce
Four-Day Workweek System
Samsung Group recently formalized a six-day workweek for executives, prompting moves to introduce six-day workweeks across various large corporations. However, there are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies that have recently gained attention by adopting a four-day workweek. It appears that the 'work-life balance' once considered exclusive to large corporations is now being embraced by SMEs and mid-sized companies.
Hanil Cement introduced the industry's first biweekly four-day workweek starting last month. Instead of working an extra hour on regular workdays, employees take Fridays off every other week. This applies to all employees except production shift workers.
Since July last year, Hanil Cement has been piloting a 4.5-day workweek, where employees work until Friday morning, and a biweekly four-day workweek. Following an employee survey that showed a strong preference for the biweekly four-day workweek, it was officially adopted this month. The company plans to expand the biweekly four-day workweek to affiliates such as Hanil Hyundai Cement in the future.
There are also companies that undertook bold experiments earlier. Coard, an automatic door manufacturer, introduced a four-day workweek in 2022. It was the first in the manufacturing industry to adopt a four-day workweek. Given the nature of manufacturing, where factories must operate continuously, it was widely believed that adopting a four-day workweek would be impossible, but Coard has maintained it for three years. The reason Coard could implement the four-day workweek was due to the introduction of smart factories that maximized production efficiency. They also eliminated all face-to-face reporting and meetings to improve work efficiency. Additionally, they provide various welfare benefits such as a monthly welfare card worth 200,000 KRW and 16 days of refresh leave every two years, resulting in a competition ratio of 100 to 200 applicants per position during recruitment.
Other companies such as Hunet and Geumseong Publishing also operate four-day workweeks. Yuhan-Kimberly is implementing a biweekly four-day workweek. These companies are breaking the perception among job seekers that SMEs have poorer welfare and treatment than large corporations by expanding various welfare benefits to attract talented individuals.
This has increased competitiveness and improved corporate performance. For example, Hunet has recorded an average sales growth rate of 22% over the past three years, and its recruitment competition rate has tripled compared to before the introduction of the four-day workweek. Regarding this, Moon Ju-hee, Head of Talent Management at Hunet, explained, "The four-day workweek has become a tool for improving productivity and an opportunity to change the way employees work."
Meanwhile, as Samsung formalizes a six-day workweek for executives across all its affiliates, similar movements are emerging in the domestic business community. SK Group revived the Saturday executive meeting attended by group executives and major affiliate representatives after 20 years, under the direction of Chairman Choi Chang-won of the SUPEX Council. Mattress company Simmons has started six-day workweeks for its executives. LS Group recently mentioned the introduction of a six-day workweek for executives during a management meeting.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
