The last three years have been challenging for Samsung. The pandemic has caused demand for smart devices, memory chips, processor chips and new electronic equipment to drop, affecting company revenues. In order to deal with various issues faced by the company, Samsung has ordered executive-ranked staff to work 6 days a week.
Currently these working hours have been enforced for executive staff in Samsung's manufacturing and sales businesses but are believed to be extended to other company businesses. Executives are given the option to come to work on Saturday or Sunday.
Initially executives at Samsung C&T, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Samsung E&A volunteered to come to work on weekends since the beginning of the year to help the company. Non-executive staff will however remain working for the 5-day week introduced since 2003.
The company faces the challenges of an increasingly competitive smartphone market, the devaluation of the Won, rising oil prices, global war conflicts and rising borrowing costs. In addition to South Korea, this new work order is also enforced on Samsung employees in India according to a report by Business Today.
