7 Out of 10 Startup Employees Say "52-Hour Workweek Should Be Made More Flexible"

Korea Startup Forum Releases Results of “52-Hour Workweek System Startup Survey”

A recent survey found that 7 out of 10 startup employees believe that the 52-hour workweek system should be made more flexible.

The Korea Startup Forum released the results of a “52-Hour Workweek System Startup Survey” on September 28, with participation from 324 startup CEOs and employees. The survey was conducted online from August 13 to August 26. A total of 324 people took part, comprising 173 CEOs and C-level executives (53.4%), and 151 general employees (46.6%).

According to the survey, 76.0% of respondents said the current 52-hour workweek system should be “revised for greater flexibility.” Among CEOs and C-level executives, this figure was 92.2%, while 61.3% of general employees agreed. The proportion of those who thought the existing system should be maintained stood at 38.7% among general employees and 7.8% among CEOs and C-level executives, highlighting a perceptual gap between the two groups. The Korea Startup Forum explained that, along with broad consensus on the need for revision, differences in perception between company leadership and staff should be considered in future discussions.

Additionally, 73.1% of respondents reported that, within the last year, they had worked up to the full 52 hours per week during certain periods. Across all company sizes, this rate exceeded 65%. Among CEOs and C-level executives it was 86.1%, higher than the 58.3% recorded among general staff. The most common reason for this workload concentration was “product or service launch deadlines” at 56.4%, followed by “intensive research and development” at 16.9%. Combined, these two reasons accounted for 73.3% of responses.

The special overtime work permit system, which allows employees to exceed the 52-hour limit with approval from the Ministry of Employment and Labor for reasons such as sudden increases in work volume or research and development as stipulated by law, was found to be underutilized. When 173 CEOs and C-level executives, who are responsible for applying for this permit, were surveyed, 72.3% said they were unaware of the system’s existence. Of the 48 respondents (27.7%) who did know about the system, none had actually used it. The Korea Startup Forum commented, “It is difficult to definitively assess the effectiveness of the special overtime permit system based solely on these results,” and added, “Further investigation is needed to determine whether low utilization stems from a lack of awareness or if the requirements and procedures do not align with the work characteristics of startups.”

The impact of the 52-hour workweek system on business operations was assessed based on responses from the 173 CEOs and C-level executives. Of these, 75.1% said that the regulation had substantial effects on management. The most common impact cited was "the CEO or executives directly performing extra work," at 35.8%. This was followed by “delays in delivery and release schedules” at 17.9%, and “hiring additional staff” at 16.2%.

The Korea Startup Forum plans to share a report containing these survey results with relevant government agencies and the National Assembly, and to continue gathering and conveying feedback from startups during follow-up discussions. Jae-Won Kim, Chairman of the Korea Startup Forum, stated, “The core of the debate on the 52-hour workweek is expanding autonomy, so that working hours can be operated more flexibly in line with the unique work characteristics of startups and the circumstances of their members.” He added, “As the survey shows, 60–70% of not only CEOs but also employees have positive opinions on making work hours more flexible. This indicates that both companies and their members experience a degree of inconvenience and rigidity under the current uniform work hour management system.”

Chairman Kim went on to say, “Reform of the system should not mean working longer, but rather ensuring that startups and their members can choose their working time and method based on their circumstances, while still having necessary safeguards in place. The Korea Startup Forum will continue to publicly release on-site data and hold ongoing discussions with the government, National Assembly, and labor community.”

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