[kmeisthax]

>In other cases, Samsung LSI executives even seem to be blaming the change in Korean labor laws. Rather than hitting crunch time and having engineers do absurd hours, employees are supposed to be limited to 52 hours a week, maximum. While we hear this is not being adhered to fully, it has cut down on the overworking of many Samsung engineers. The pushback from Samsung is so strong that there is even legislation being pushed to to relax these labor laws.

Aah yes. The sign of entirely level-headed and well-managed companies is when they blame the fact that they can't 996 their skilled workers.

[creakingstairs]

This is a bit of a hot topic in Korea. I don’t agree with abolishing the 52 hour law but what the opposition is proposing is being able to crunch for a period and take the days off later which is more reasonable than 996 all the times.

[mijamo]

For me 52 hours already sound like a crunch. Regular schedule should be more like 35-40.

[creakingstairs]

I agree I do around 35… and can’t imagine doing 52 every week. This is probably why young Koreans call their country hell,“Hell-Choseon”.

[rocqua]

Do they have a limit on how long you can crush, or how soon after a crush you need to have taken the time off?

[Gareth321]

More to the point, Korean and Japanese work cultures heavily disincentivise taking that time off. So even if workers can technically take this time off later, they'll be punished if they do.