Most Employees Welcome 4.5-Day Week; Experienced Say Productivity Improves

A majority of domestic office workers show a high approval rate for the introduction of a 4.5-day work week, and notably, over half of the office workers who have actually experienced the system reported feeling an increase in productivity despite the reduction in working hours, drawing attention. According to a survey conducted by the office worker social platform Blind targeting 16,920 Korean office workers, the percentage in favor of introducing the 4.5-day work week was 78%, more than five times higher than the opposition (14%). The approval rate varied depending on career length and company size. The approval rate was highest among those with 14 or more years of experience, at 81%, and slightly decreased with less experience, recording 72% for those with less than one year of experience. By company size, the approval rate for employees in companies with fewer than 300 people (86%) was higher than for those in large corporations with 10,000 or more employees (77%). Furthermore, there was a tendency for approval rates to be higher among those with shorter current working hours; the approval rate for the group working 52 hours or less per week was 80%, whereas it was relatively lower at 71% for the long-hours working group exceeding 70 hours per week. Notably, 52% of the 5,398 people who actually experienced the 4.5-day work week responded that their productivity 'increased'. Only 37% reported 'no change', and 11% reported 'decreased'. Office workers cited 'organizational culture' (23%) and 'inefficient procedures' (23%) as the main factors hindering work productivity, while 'lack of working hours', a concern for companies, accounted for the lowest proportion at 5%. Additionally, excessive communication (16%) and confusion over priorities (15%) were identified as causes of inefficiency. These results suggest the possibility that the introduction of a 4.5-day work week can lead to productivity improvements not just through reduced working hours, but also through improvements in organizational and work methods. However, opinions on the introduction of the system remain divided. While some advocate for sustainable working methods and a shift towards productivity-centric approaches, citing examples from Western countries, others prioritize securing national competitiveness and adopt a cautious stance.