In an era where the four-day workweek is gaining popularity, many South Korean companies are moving in the opposite direction, adopting six-day workweeks to address urgent business challenges.
Since February, SK Group has been conducting Saturday meetings fortnightly for its presidents, and last weekend, Samsung started a six-day workweek for executives across its affiliates. This shift is driven by a perceived need to keep pace with global competitors who operate virtually around the clock to deliver results.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has publicly advocated for extensive work hours, famously stating, “You can’t change the world with a 40-hour work week.” Likewise, Silicon Valley tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Nvidia are notorious for their intense work cultures, where there are no caps on working hours, and performance is the sole criterion for evaluation.
A Samsung Group executive said, “Global companies thrive in a ‘performance era’— working tirelessly night and day. In contrast, we are stuck in a ‘time era’ where the focus is merely on clocking in and out. Adopting a six-day workweek is our strategy for survival.”
On a recent Saturday, a Samsung Electronics executive said, “When I logged into our company messenger, I saw about 1,100 executives online, which was quite unsettling. The company has fostered a sense of urgency among us.” That day, Samsung also organized meetings led by the presidents of each affiliate and department, including sessions to review the latest industry trends.
Another executive from Samsung Electronics remarked, “With a 15 trillion won loss in our semiconductor business last year and ongoing challenges such as wars, high interest rates, and reduced consumer spending, we can’t afford to be complacent.”
Following the implementation of the 52-hour workweek, a Samsung affiliate executive noted a shift in work culture: “There’s now a reluctance to work overtime; by Friday afternoon, it’s almost impossible to ask anyone to stay. Meanwhile, competitors abroad are tirelessly working to secure projects and develop new ventures, putting us at a disadvantage.”
An SK Group executive said, “We are planning to reevaluate and adjust our business portfolio in the first half of the year and implement these changes in the second half. Achieving this would be impossible without our Saturday meetings and starting our days at 7:00 a.m.”
However, there is resistance. An executive from a Samsung affiliate expressed concerns about work-life balance: “There’s a saying that Samsung executives must forsake their families. I haven’t taken a single vacation day this year, and I doubt increasing pressure will improve things. Proper rest and maintaining family relationships are also crucial for performance.”
An executive at a major company, a parent of elementary school-aged children, said, “Balancing success at work with childcare is challenging. I’m concerned about jeopardizing my health and losing everything.”
A newcomer to Samsung from an international firm said, “Although I can work remotely, the mandate to be physically present in the office is demotivating. I doubt individuals from companies like Intel or Google would find our rigid culture appealing.”
Executives are not compensated additionally for weekend work as their remuneration is based on annual salaries and performance incentives. This is why the six-day workweek has been limited to executives under contract, as extending it to all employees would incur significant costs and potentially provoke backlash.
A Samsung executive said, “These days, the importance of work-life balance has reached a point where most employees are reluctant even to take on a team leader role.”
