Recently, online communities and other channels buzzed with claims that cases of purchasing an "SK hynix entrance exam workbook" through a Samsung Electronics in-house benefits program had surged. But the actual purchase volume was said to be low. Samsung Card, which operates "BenepU," a Samsung Electronics employees-only benefits mall, removed the workbook from the purchase list after the controversy grew. BenepU is available to all employees without distinction between the DS (semiconductors) and DX (finished goods) institutional sectors.
On the 19th, Samsung Card blocked all SK hynix entrance exam workbooks from being purchased within Samsung Electronics' BenepU. Until now, employees could buy around three types of SK hynix entrance exam workbooks, but all have been blocked. In the Samsung Electronics benefits mall, employees can buy various books through a "book specials" category, and Samsung Card removed some titles from the offerings.
Lately, on the anonymous workplace community Blind and other online channels, posts suggesting that "the top book bestseller on the Samsung Electronics benefits mall is the latest SK hynix past questions" drew attention. The post included a screenshot showing an SK hynix entrance exam workbook ranked No. 1 in bestsellers. However, the screenshot was not from BenepU but from Kyobo Book Centre.
Samsung Card appears to have taken separate action, viewing it as a problem that employees could buy books that help with a move to a competitor via the Samsung Electronics benefits mall, in order to prevent the controversy from spreading. A Samsung Card official said, "As the benefits mall's entrusted operator, we continually update items needed by member company employees."
According to multiple Samsung Electronics employees, in early to mid-Apr., when sorting items on the in-house benefits mall by most purchases, the SK hynix entrance exam workbook appeared near the top. The timing coincided with SK hynix's recruitment period for all positions (production positions) from Apr. 13 to 22. The workbooks that ranked by sales reportedly targeted the Maintenance and Operator job groups, which accept high school and junior college graduates. Maintenance handles upkeep of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and production line operations, and Operators handle product quality testing and defect factor inspections. An employee in Samsung Electronics' DS (semiconductors) institutional sector said, "On the in-house purchase site, the purchase volume of an 'SK hynix past questions collection' showed up high and was a hot topic for quite a while."
However, it appears rare that Samsung Electronics employees actually purchased such workbooks. Samsung Card operates several similar sites besides the Samsung Electronics benefits mall, and it displays rankings that reflect total purchases across various sites.
Through "Chaek-in-up," which is run separately by Samsung Electronics' DS institutional sector, there were reportedly many cases of buying SK hynix entrance exam workbooks. Chaek-in-up is a program that subsidizes a set monthly amount for book purchases or e-book subscriptions across multiple book distribution channels. A source in the book distribution industry said, "It's hard to cite exact figures, but in early to mid-Apr., there was a meaningful increase in purchases of SK hynix entrance-related books through Samsung Electronics' benefits programs."
This is seen as stemming from more employees attempting to change jobs after SK hynix paid "record-breaking performance bonuses" to its staff. A Samsung Electronics employee said, "Among college-educated office workers, more employees are aiming for SK hynix's rolling career transitions, and some colleagues have actually succeeded in moving," adding, "Among production workers as well, the view is spreading that moving to SK hynix and receiving clear compensation in a short period is better."
The Samsung Electronics union has also publicly raised the issue of talent outflow. Choi Seung-ho, chairperson of the Samsung Electronics chapter of the Samsung Group supra-enterprise labor union, said at a press conference on the 17th of last month that "over the past four months, more than 200 union members have moved to SK hynix."