Day 33: Would a Four-Day Week Work?

Dialogue

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1. 1

   A 성진아, 우리 회사 다음 달부터 주 4일 근무제 시범 운영한대. 금요일마다 쉰다!

   Seongjina, uri hoesa daeum dalbuteo ju 4il geunmuje sibeom unyeonghandae. Geumyoilmada swinda!

   Sungjin, my company's trialling a four-day week from next month. Every Friday off!

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2. 2

   B 와, 좋겠다. 근데 월급은 그대로야?

   Wa, joketda. Geunde wolgeubeun geudaeroya?

   Wow, lucky you. But does your pay stay the same?

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3. 3

   A 응, 월급은 그대로고, 대신 회의를 줄이고 업무 효율을 높이래.

   Eung, wolgeubeun geudaerogo, daesin hoeuireul jurigo eommu hyoyureul nopirae.

   Yeah, same pay. In return they want us to cut meetings and work more efficiently.

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4. 4

   B 말은 쉽지. 일은 그대로인데 하루가 줄면 나머지 나흘이 지옥이 되기 마련이야.

   Mareun swipji. Ireun geudaeroinde haruga julmyeon nameoji naheuri jiogi doegi maryeoniya.

   Easy to say. If the work stays the same and you lose a day, the other four days are bound to turn into hell.

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5. 5

   A 그래서 처음엔 반발도 좀 있었어. 근데 먼저 해 본 회사들은 생산성이 오히려 올랐대.

   Geuraeseo cheoeumen banbaldo jom isseosseo. Geunde meonjeo hae bon hoesadeureun saengsanseongi ohiryeo ollatdae.

   That's why there was some pushback at first. But apparently at companies that tried it first, productivity actually went up.

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6. 6

   B 그건 대기업 얘기지. 우리 같은 자영업자는 꿈도 못 꿔.

   Geugeon daegieop yaegiji. Uri gateun jayeongeopjaneun kkumdo mot kkwo.

   That's big companies. Small business owners like me can't even dream of it.

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7. 7

   A 왜? 너네 카페도 직원들 돌아가면서 하루씩 더 쉬게 하면 되잖아.

   Wae? Neone kapedo jigwondeul doragamyeonseo harussik deo swige hamyeon doejana.

   Why not? You could have your staff take turns getting an extra day off.

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8. 8

   B 직원이 두 명뿐인데? 한 명 쉬면 내가 하루 종일 커피 내리고 설거지해야 돼. 사람을 더 뽑으면 월급은 누가 주고?

   Jigwoni du myeongppuninde? Han myeong swimyeon naega haru jongil keopi naerigo seolgeojihaeya dwae. Sarameul deo ppobeumyeon wolgeubeun nuga jugo?

   I've only got two staff! If one's off, I'm making coffee and washing dishes all day. And if I hire more people, who pays their wages?

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9. 9

   A 하긴, 너 작년엔 명절에도 쉬지 않고 가게 문을 열곤 했지.

   Hagin, neo jangnyeonen myeongjeoredo swiji anko gage muneul yeolgon haetji.

   True, last year you'd even open the café on holidays.

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10. 10

    B 그렇다니까. 새 제도는 늘 여유 있는 회사부터 시작하게 마련이고, 중소기업은 한참 뒤에나 따라가.

    Geureotanikka. Sae jedoneun neul yeoyu inneun hoesabuteo sijakage maryeonigo, jungsogieobeun hancham dwiena ttaraga.

    Exactly. New systems always start at companies that can afford them, and small businesses only follow way behind.

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11. 11

    A 그래도 누군가 시작해야 바뀌지. 주 5일제 처음 생길 때도 다들 나라 망한다고 했다잖아.

    Geuraedo nugunga sijakaeya bakkwiji. Ju 5ilje cheoeum saenggil ttaedo dadeul nara manghandago haetdajana.

    But someone has to start for anything to change. Apparently, when the five-day week came in, everyone said it would ruin the country too.

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12. 12

    B 그건 맞아. 우리 아버지도 토요일마다 출근하곤 하셨는데 이젠 상상도 못 하지.

    Geugeon maja. Uri abeojido toyoilmada chulgeunhagon hasyeonneunde ijen sangsangdo mot haji.

    That's true. My dad used to go into work every Saturday, and now that's unthinkable.

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13. 13

    A 봐. 몇 년 지나면 주 4일도 당연해질 거야.

    Bwa. Myeot nyeon jinamyeon ju 4ildo dangyeonhaejil geoya.

    See? In a few years a four-day week will be normal too.

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14. 14

    B 글쎄. 내 생각엔 너네 회사 석 달도 못 가. 실적 떨어지면 바로 없던 일이 될걸.

    Geulsse. Nae saenggagen neone hoesa seok daldo mot ga. Siljeok tteoreojimyeon baro eopdeon iri doelgeol.

    I don't know. My bet is your company won't last three months. If results drop, they'll scrap the whole thing straight away.

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15. 15

    A 그럼 내기할까? 연말까지 계속하면 네가 이 포장마차에서 한턱내.

    Geureom naegihalkka? Yeonmalkkaji gyesokamyeon nega i pojangmachaeseo hanteongnae.

    Want to bet on it, then? If it's still going at the end of the year, you're buying at this tent bar.

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16. 16

    B 좋아. 대신 중간에 없어지면 네가 우리 카페 주말 알바 한 달 해.

    Joa. Daesin junggane eopseojimyeon nega uri kape jumal alba han dal hae.

    You're on. But if it gets scrapped before then, you work weekends at my café for a month.

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17. 17

    A 콜! 어차피 내가 이길 테니까.

    Kol! Eochapi naega igil tenikka.

    Deal! I'm going to win anyway.

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18. 18

    B 하하, 벌써 이긴 것처럼 말하네. 자, 내기 기념으로 한잔하자.

    Haha, beolsseo igin geotcheoreom malhane. Ja, naegi ginyeomeuro hanjanhaja.

    Ha, you're talking like you've already won. Come on, let's drink to the bet.

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