Essentially, the WSJ article provided an insightful look into how Asian countries, especially South Korea which is long known for its ‘workaholism’, have responded to the 5-day work. The story led with an account of a South Korean housewife lamenting the fact that her husband was now at home on Saturdays and how his presence has made her life more miserable since he seemed to have absolutely no idea about what to do with his day off, leaving his wife to make even more domestic decisions and having to meet more of his unreasonable demands. This situation, the WSJ said, was common as it highlighted the fact that many Koreans are unnerved by the prospect of not going to the office on Saturdays and are deeply uncomfortable because they just do not know what to do with themselves with the time off.
To help their perplexed workers make the most of their free time, some companies have gone to the extent of organising ‘leisure club’ activities and have appointed ‘leisure counsellors’ for these workers, just so that they fill the empty Saturdays. In fact, many South Korean men are stressed by the time off, and worry about the economic burden leisure time is imposing on them, since they now have to worry about higher expenses necessitated by more family outings. One unnamed white-collar South Korean worker summarised, “I am beginning to realise that feeling guilty, staying long hours, and not knowing how to rest is part of our legacy.”
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that counts. It’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln
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