Labor-Management Conflict at Hana Financial Group Over Relocation to Incheon and 4.5-Day Workweek

Hana Financial Group, which is relocating its headquarters from Seoul to Cheongna, Incheon, has reportedly decided not to implement a 4.5-day workweek for employees working at the Cheongna office.

Amid complaints from employees that the headquarters relocation has increased their commuting times by up to more than two hours, the labor union has even filed for labor dispute mediation.

The Hana Financial Group labor union alliance recently conveyed its stance to management that it opposes the headquarters' relocation to Cheongna without adequate support measures and applied for labor dispute mediation with the National Labor Relations Commission.

During its shareholders meeting last March, Hana Financial Group passed an amendment to its articles of incorporation to change the location of its headquarters from Seoul to Incheon.

Consequently, approximately 2,200 executives and employees across 10 affiliates, including Hana Financial Group, Hana Bank, Hana Securities, and Hana Card, are sequentially moving their workplaces to the Cheongna headquarters from this month through the end of the year.

Some employees already began commuting to Cheongna starting last week.

According to the union, with the workplace changing from Seoul to Cheongna, employees' commuting times have reportedly increased by up to more than two hours.

While management operates shuttle buses for employees living in Seoul, the union claims that heavy traffic congestion around the Cheongna IC has led to significant delays in commute times in some cases.

In response, the labor unions of Hana Card, Hana Securities, Hana General Insurance, and Hana Life formed a joint struggle headquarters for the Cheongna relocation last August and are negotiating with management over housing and transportation subsidies, as well as the reorganization of work systems.

One of the core issues is the 4.5-day workweek. The union demanded the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek and flexible working hours, while management is reportedly taking the stance that it can partially accept flexible working hours, but implementing a 4.5-day workweek is difficult.

The relocation to Cheongna is the final phase of the Hana Dream Town project, which has been pursued since 2012.

As part of this project, Hana Financial Group signed agreements with the Incheon Metropolitan City government, the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, and Korea Land and Housing Corporation in 2012, beginning to gradually consolidate the group's major facilities in Cheongna.

The vision is to centralize data and IT infrastructure, educational facilities, and the management functions of major affiliates in one location to strengthen collaboration among affiliates and accelerate digital and AI transformation.

Once this relocation is complete, including existing Cheongna personnel, an estimated 4,000 employees will be working at Hana Dream Town.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Kim Na-on | Graphics by Lee Jung-joo | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.