4.5-Day Workweek More Preferred by Employees at Smaller Companies and with Shorter Working Hours

Blind Survey of Over 13,000 Office Workers in Korea
Employees at Smaller Companies and Those with Shorter Working Hours Show More Support for the 4.5-Day Workweek

As pilot projects for the 4.5-day workweek are set to begin next year, the introduction of the system is gaining momentum. A recent survey found that office workers' preferences for the 4.5-day workweek vary depending on the size of their company and their working hours. Employees at smaller companies and those with shorter working hours showed a more positive attitude toward the 4.5-day system.

According to a survey conducted by the workplace social platform Blind on December 4, which targeted over 13,000 office workers in Korea, 78% expressed support for the 4.5-day workweek. Only 14% responded that they were against it. The survey was conducted via the Blind app from November 25 to 30.

Although the majority supported the 4.5-day workweek, there were some differences depending on company size, years of service, and working hours. Notably, employees at smaller companies showed a significantly higher preference for the 4.5-day system compared to those at large corporations. Among employees at companies with fewer than 300 people, 86% were in favor. In contrast, among those at companies with more than 10,000 employees, support dropped to 77%, a difference of 9 percentage points. For companies of other sizes, the approval rate ranged from 81% to 82%. This suggests that larger companies, which have already implemented various flexible work arrangements, may have less demand for further reductions in working hours.

Additionally, among employees who reported longer working hours, the approval rate for the 4.5-day workweek was lower. For those working between 32 and 52 hours per week, support was consistently between 80% and 83%. However, support dropped to 75% among those working more than 52 but less than 70 hours, and to 71% among those working more than 70 hours per week. The longer the period of employment, the higher the support for the 4.5-day system: among those with less than one year of service, 71% were in favor; for those with one to less than five years, 76%; five to less than nine years, 78%; nine to less than fourteen years, 80%; and fourteen years or more, 82%.

Regarding these results, an industry insider commented, "Factors such as job proficiency, the characteristics of each industry, and whether overtime is compensated likely had a combined influence."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.