The World Cup and the Workplace

Perhaps, not to mention the impact of the World Cup in a Korean business blog would be a missed opportunity to highlight an interesting aspect of Korean popular culture. This article cites the impact of the World Cup on the workplace in Korea, but I know Koreans across the globe struggling to juggle their work schedules, sleep, and the competition. This includes Koreans in America, Canada, and of course Europe.


Korea Times
The World Cup in Germany will keep many South Koreans awake through the night over the next 30 days, and companies are struggling to find ways to keep daytime labor efficiency.

Due to a seven-hour time difference, the matches will be played during the nighttime in Korea. As a result, several companies are adopting flexible working hours on the South Korean national team's match days, so workers can come to work in the morning with enough sleep, and more importantly, with a sober face.

Dongwha Holdings, which produces wooden, interior materials, decided to advance working hours at its factories by three hours to 6 a.m. when South Korea plays France and Switzerland. The workers will watch the World Cup games together at the company's meeting hall from 4 a.m., and then they will work for eight hours until 2 p.m.

``It is a safety issue,'' the company's public relations manager, Park Min-kyu, said. ``We were worried that people may come to work drunk, because we know many of the workers try to stay awake until 4 a.m. drinking beer. We wanted to prevent possible accidents at the factory by watching the football matches together and start work in the early morning.''

On the other hand, there are firms that are pushing back working hours.

ING Life, a Dutch insurance firm, let the workers adjust their office hours from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Korean match days.

``With flexible working hours, any staff that wish to take advantage of the work hour adjustments can cheer for the national football team without having to go back into the office early the next morning,'' the company said in a press release. ``It will also help employees work effectively on days after each game.''

Seoul city also plans to extend the subway and public bus service until 2 a.m. on Korea's match days, to help people gathering at the city hall square and many other public places for group support.

However, there is one condition that should be met for all that cheering to keep going _ a win over Togo.

``The working hour shift will be applied only when South Korea beats Togo in the first match on Tuesday,'' said Park of Dongwha Holdings, the company that plans the flexible working hour system. ``If we lose to Togo, there will be no chance to get past the group stage. Then there will be no need for such group cheering as well.''