"Principles Must Be Upheld"... One-Hour Limit on Lunch Breaks
Unnecessary Movement Banned During 'Focused Work Hours'
Criticism Emerges Over "Distrust Among Employees and Decreased Efficiency"
Shinhan Financial Group has launched a campaign to establish work discipline among employees, including a one-hour limit on lunch breaks and a ban on drinking alcohol on weekdays.
On the 27th, Shinhan Financial Group and Shinhan Bank headquarters have recently been encouraging employees to participate in the 'ON (溫) Time' campaign. The campaign includes principles such as limiting lunch hours from noon to 1 p.m. to ensure a one-hour break per day and prohibiting unnecessary movement during working hours.
Shinhan Financial Group is launching a campaign to establish work discipline among employees, including a one-hour limit on lunch breaks and a ban on drinking alcohol on weekdays. Unrelated photo. Getty Images
This policy is known to reflect the opinions of senior management, including Jin Ok-dong, Chairman of Shinhan Financial Group. The campaign began in mid-month, and Shinhan Financial headquarters employees mainly use the cafeteria on the 20th floor instead of dining out.
Currently, affiliates are also showing signs of joining the campaign. In the case of Shinhan Investment Corp., starting from the 3rd of next month, employees will use a one-hour lunch break between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., with 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. being the recommended time. Additionally, four hours a day?from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.?are designated as 'focused work hours,' during which employees are not allowed to leave their seats for reasons unrelated to work, such as smoking. Internal broadcasts encouraging concentration are also conducted at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Along with this, guidelines have been issued instructing employees to answer landline calls by stating, "This is Shinhan Investment Corp., Department ○○, ○○○ speaking." Furthermore, employees are required to use official titles when addressing each other, and the use of informal terms such as 'hyungnim' or 'unni' is restricted.
Earlier, Park Chang-hoon, the newly appointed CEO of Shinhan Card, made a confidential remark during the first half business strategy meeting, saying, "Focus on working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Is this the time for flexible or autonomous work?" He added, "When I visited Visa in the U.S., no one got up during lunch. They said it was because they were busy. They worked while eating bread at their desks." He also warned, "If caught drinking on weekdays, I will not tolerate it. If you come to work smelling of alcohol or struggling due to intoxication the next day, I will crack down hard."
Employees appear to be relatively actively participating in this campaign; however, some criticism has emerged, claiming that it fosters distrust among employees and reduces work efficiency.
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