Kim Dong-yeon Visits Companies with 30-Hour Workweek... "This Year, About 50 Sites in the Province to Pilot 4.5-Day Workweek"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon visited Brain Ventures, a tenant company in the Pangyo Startup Zone in Seongnam City, where employees work 30 hours a week yet experience annual sales growth and high satisfaction, and held a meeting.

Governor Kim said, "There was a time when productivity was increased by extending working hours in a labor-intensive manner. But now the times have changed," emphasizing, "We must read the changes of the era well."

He continued, "When we talk about production factors, we mean labor, capital, and land, but now quality rather than quantity in labor has become important," adding, "The quality of labor comes from motivation, not from loyalty, devotion, or control."

He further explained, "Gyeonggi Province will enable work-life balance through a 4.5-day workweek and flexible working hours," and said, "This will help not only corporate productivity but also address the low birthrate problem."

Earlier, Governor Kim announced the introduction of the ‘4.5-day workweek’ in August last year to reduce working hours. The 4.5-day workweek system allows companies and labor unions to choose one of three options to shorten working hours: ▲biweekly 4-day workweek ▲35-hour workweek ▲half-day work on Fridays. The wages required for the reduction in working hours will be supported by the public sector.

At that time, Governor Kim officially declared that the 4.5-day workweek would be promoted as a new project of Gyeonggi Province along with the ‘0.5 & 0.75 job’ project to prevent career interruptions.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is taking a commemorative photo with CEO Kim Won-hoe and others at Brain Ventures located in Seongnam on the 7th. Photo by Gyeonggi Province

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province will introduce a pilot project for the 4.5-day workweek targeting about 50 companies within the province starting this year. To reduce working hours without wage cuts, incentives equivalent to the living wage per worker will be provided.

Consulting will also be supported to help companies maintain labor productivity while implementing the system, including improvements in work processes and production lines.

Meanwhile, Brain Ventures, visited on this day, has employees working 6 hours a day. Compared to the 52-hour workweek system, this means implementing a ‘30-hour workweek,’ which is almost half the working hours. Due to this system, employees start work flexibly between 9 and 10 a.m. and leave around 4 p.m. The company explained that despite the 30-hour workweek, employee annual salaries are higher than the industry average.

Moreover, since its establishment in 2020, Brain Ventures’ sales have steadily increased every year. Last year’s sales rose by more than 25% compared to the previous year.

Kim Won-hoe, CEO of Brain Ventures, said, "From the early stages of the company, we have implemented the current 30-hour workweek, telecommuting, and flexible working hours, and good results are coming out. Staying late is not an indicator of trust in the company," adding, "We believe that working together during the ‘core time’ from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is sufficient."