6 in 10 firms still uncomfortable with 52-hour workweek

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Companies have been adjusting to the new rule mandating a maximum 52-hour workweek, but 60 percent of the firms still struggle with labor inflexibility and other difficulties, a survey taken by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) showed Tuesday.

Companies said they want a more flexible system that allows them to adjust working hours to 52 hours on average within a certain period ― allowing workers to work longer when the company is busy and reduce their working hours later in exchange.

In the survey targeting 211 companies with 300 employees or more, 91.5 percent said they have been adapting to the 52-hour workweek, while 8.5 percent said they have not established a new system.

However, 60 percent of the companies, which said they have been adjusting to the system, raised concerns that the shorter workweek fails to take into account the needs of each industry.

“The 52-hour workweek system was introduced to boost productivity and efficiency, but many large and mid-sized companies are calling to increase flexibility in working hours in accordance with seasonal changes or workloads,” a KCCI official said.

“As the shorter workweek is set to be applied to smaller businesses next year, employers are demanding a wider range of flexibility.”

The 52-hour workweek, one of President Moon Jae-in's main election pledges, was implemented in July last year with an aim to improve work-life balance. But the liberal administration's labor-friendly policy also drew criticism for its uniform application regardless of the characteristics of each industry.

For instance, hotels and construction firms need to increase working hours to more than 52 hours a week during certain periods but they cannot apply flexible working hours due to a shorter workweek. This results in workers doing unofficial overtime work to meet deadlines, according to the KCCI.

The KCCI also mentioned that companies cannot handle emergency situations properly, such as production line failures or repairs.

Some employers expressed concerns that they could lose competitiveness in research and development due to tight working hours.

“The government needs to consider various forms of flexible working hours that can be tailored to industries, such as a discretionary work scheme or white collar exemption,” the official said.

Earlier on Nov. 6, Korea Federation of SMEs (K-Biz) Chairman Kim Ki-mun called for a one-year grace period for the shorter workweek.

“According to the survey conducted by K-Biz, 66 percent of smaller businesses said they're not ready to implement the 52-hour workweek. For SMEs, the shorter workweek could serve as a burden,” he said.

Starting next year, the 52-hour workweek will be expanded to companies with 50 to 299 employees. Companies with fewer than 49 workers will have to cut working hours starting July 2021.