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South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians is piloting a 4.5-day workweek by leveraging AI and workflow automation to reduce repetitive tasks. The company joined the “2026 Gyeonggi Province 4.5-Day Workweek Pilot Program,” run by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, and has been implementing the schedule since August. The plan pairs shorter working hours with an AI-driven overhaul of business processes to sustain productivity. On the same day, Genians was also named a “2026 Korea’s Best Job-Creating Company” by South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor. CEO Lee Dong-beom credited the recognition to the combination of company-wide AI integration, workflow innovation, and a culture of employee respect. The company plans to leverage its flexible work environment and AI-based operating model to strengthen recruiting competitiveness and expand new hiring.
Key Elements
South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians is piloting a 4.5-day workweek by using artificial intelligence (AI) and workflow automation to reduce repetitive tasks. The initiative goes beyond simply cutting working hours — the company aims to reshape work processes themselves through AI so that productivity is maintained even as the work schedule changes.
Genians announced on the 30th that it was selected as a “2026 Korea’s Best Job-Creating Company,” a program run by South Korea’s Ministry of Employment and Labor. The designation recognizes private companies that have delivered results in job creation, work-life balance, and workplace improvements. The company has long operated flexible work arrangements including parental leave and maternity leave support, staggered commuting hours, and remote work.
On the third Friday of every month, Genians runs a “Family Day” that lets employees leave at noon. The company also supports employee training and professional certification, and covers the cost of AI services needed for work.
The shorter-workweek experiment has also begun. Genians joined the “2026 Gyeonggi Province 4.5-Day Workweek Pilot Program,” promoted by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, and has been piloting the 4.5-day schedule since August.
The core of the initiative is pursuing reduced working hours and AI-based work innovation at the same time. The idea is to shift repetitive, standardized tasks to AI systems so that employees can focus on creative and strategic work. Through automation and process redesign, the company aims to build a system that sustains efficiency even with fewer working hours.
Genians plans to use the 4.5-day workweek pilot and its AI transformation (AX) efforts in recruiting as well. The strategy is to attract top talent in the IT and security fields by highlighting the flexible work environment and AI-based operating model, while accelerating new hiring.
Lee Dong-beom, CEO of Genians, said, “Being named a Korea’s Best Job-Creating Company and launching the 4.5-day workweek pilot are the result of combining company-wide AI integration, work process innovation, and an organizational culture that respects employees.” He added, “We will build a high-efficiency workplace that captures both work and results, grounded in AI technology innovation.”
The significance of AI-based work innovation
The pilot program is notable because it attempts a fundamental shift in how work is done through AI, rather than merely shortening working hours. While previous discussions of a 4.5-day workweek have largely focused on reducing hours themselves, Genians’ approach centers on using AI to automate repetitive work and create a structure that delivers higher output within the same time.
A company official explained the decision to join the pilot: “It started from a company-wide consensus that we can achieve higher performance in the same amount of time through AI-based work automation and process redesign, rather than simply cutting hours or expanding benefits.”
Specifically, the plan is to transfer repetitive and standardized tasks to AI systems and build a “high-engagement, high-efficiency” environment where employees concentrate only on creative, strategic core work.
Strengthening recruiting competitiveness and expanding employment
Genians’ strategy is to use the pilot program and accelerated AI transformation as a springboard to strengthen its employer brand. The goal is to secure top talent in next-generation IT and security fields and speed up new job creation.
In the Korea’s Best Job-Creating Company selection, Genians received high marks for its continued expansion of employment centered on young and specialized talent, its strong flexible-work environment, and a range of benefits supporting employee growth.
Genians is a company that has grown in the cybersecurity sector, centered on network access control (NAC) solutions. Recently, it has been actively applying AI technology to both its security products and internal work processes. The 4.5-day workweek pilot is seen as an extension of this AI integration strategy.
Outlook
The results of the 4.5-day workweek pilot are expected to serve as an important reference case for changes in work arrangements at South Korean companies going forward. The key question is whether AI-based work automation can simultaneously achieve the twin goals of shorter working hours and sustained productivity.
CEO Lee stressed, “Based on continuous AI technology innovation, we will build a high-efficiency workplace that captures both work and results, and accelerate growth in the global security market together with outstanding talent.”
Once productivity metrics, employee satisfaction, and work-efficiency data accumulate during the pilot period, it should be possible to gauge the potential for expanding the 4.5-day workweek. Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Job Foundation also plan to analyze the performance of participating companies and review whether to broaden the program.
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