Korean game company NCSoft said Thursday it will launch a four-day workweek to create a safer working environment and support families with children, amid the worsening novel coronavirus pandemic.

The company will operate a four-day workweek for four weeks from this weekend until April 29, employing flexible work schedules and allowing telecommuting for those pregnant or with underlying conditions.

“All 4,000 staff members will be given paid leave every week during the period, which they’ll have to exhaust on a mandatory basis,” a company official said.

The weekly paid leave will still be effective in the third and fifth week of April, which include national holidays -- the general elections on April 15 and Buddha’s Birthday on April 30.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)