The concept of the four-day work week is gaining traction around the world. It seems people are keen to regain some of their free time from their jobs.
But there’s one country looking to head in the opposite direction – South Korea.
The country’s government is seeking to pass reforms which will allow workers to work up to 69 hours a week. Rather than trying to force its citizens to give up on the notion of ‘work-life balance’, the government says the move is intended to increase that balance, not decrease it.
This is because under the new rules, workers and employers can decide whether to count overtime by the week, quarter, half-year or year. For counting periods longer than one month, up to 29 hours of overtime per week can be recorded.
The thinking behind this change is that it will give employees more flexibility to work when its busy and take time off when it’s not.
It effectively allows people to work more now, in order to take a longer break later.
Does this seem fair to you?