The flexible work hour-initiative will allow Samsung workers to choose time slots of their choice. Within a 40-hour work week timeframe, this will make it possible for employees to work when they please. (Image courtesy of Samsung Electronics)
SEOUL, May 30 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics will allow its employees to have more freedom to choose when they work.
Starting in July, employees will be allowed to make use of a flexible work plan, while those who take frequent business trips will be recognized for their external work hours.
Samsung says that such measures will help create an “effective work culture” that will help maintain the company’s global competitive edge.
Samsung’s announcement comes as the government pushes forth a 52-hour workweek regulation to be introduced from July, starting with businesses employing 300 or more workers.
The flexible work hour-initiative will allow Samsung workers to choose time slots of their choice. Within a 40-hour work week timeframe, this will make it possible for employees to work when they please.
In cases where an exact tabulation of work hours is difficult, a previous agreement on paper detailing the situation will allow workers to be recognized for their time.
However, this is to be applied only to new product development projects or research and development duties.
While Samsung’s new work policy is the first amongst its chaebol counterparts, experts are questioning if the new system will be expanded to other large corporations.
However, skeptics say that despite Samsung’s efforts, the work policy may not contribute to increasing global competitiveness in the field of research and development, as compressed working hours are needed to produce fast results in a short amount of time.
One industry insider said that while Samsung’s initiatives are innovative, they may not bear fruit in the production of high-tech products where every second counts.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
