Samsung forces you to work 6 days a week. But only to managers

While some companies are moving to four-day workweeks, Samsung Group is pivoting in the opposite direction, at least when it comes to management. According to information provided by Korean media, Samsung Group is introducing a six-day working week for its managers.

Poor results

These emergency measures respond to the unfavorable economic conditions and unsatisfactory results achieved in 2023. Despite these difficulties, the Korean giant at least has reason to be optimistic, as it recently took over the top spot in global smartphone shipments from Apple.

According to The Korea Economic Daily, Samsung Group will introduce a six-day work week for its management staff in all branches, with some of these changes taking effect this week. According to the Korean daily, the radical action of this South Korean giant is related to the difficult situation of the company, which is struggling with rising oil prices, high costs of external financing and a sharp decline in the value of the South Korean won. “Given that the results of our main divisions, including Samsung Electronics Co., did not meet expectations in 2023, we are introducing a six-day working week for management to emphasize the seriousness of the crisis and do everything possible to overcome it,” the director said. executive of Samsung Group to the daily.

According to the article, the new work schedule in most of Samsung's technology departments will be effective immediately, and will be extended to financial services departments in the future. The newspaper also claims that many executives have already been working voluntarily six days a week since the beginning of the year.

work on the weekends

Samsung Electronics executives will have the option to work on Saturday or Sunday. Lower-level employees will continue to work five days a week.

Despite the desire to improve on the results achieved in 2023, there have been some positive signs recently. IDC said Samsung regained the top spot in global smartphone shipments in the first quarter. It temporarily lost that title to Apple in the last quarter of 2023.

Samsung has yet to release its financial results for the first quarter of 2024, which will occur on April 30. In its latest financial reports, the company expressed moderate optimism about smartphone demand growth in 2024. According to a recent report from Reuters, the company may benefit from rising semiconductor prices.

South Korea is known for its intense work culture. According to 2022 data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the average employee spent 1,901 hours at work, putting South Korea in fifth place among the economic organization's 38 member states. Last year, the country introduced a 69-hour week plan, but it was abandoned after opposition from young workers and trade unions.