“IKEA workers report lack of rest breaks amid understaffing – union criticises deteriorating conditions under new CEO”, 11 June 2025

Retail workers at IKEA Korea are reportedly suffering from insufficient rest breaks and chronic understaffing, according to findings shared by the IKEA branch of the Mart Workers’ Union.

At a press conference held in front of the IKEA Gwangmyeong store in Gyeonggi Province, the union presented results from a survey of 211 store employees. When asked whether paid rest breaks were necessary, 88.2% of respondents said “strongly agree”, and another 10% said “agree”. The most cited reasons included the need for a pause during continuous repetitive tasks (69.7%), high physical workload (64.5%), insufficient break time (46.4%), prevention of musculoskeletal disorders (52.6%), lack of time for meals (32.2%), and fairness with other companies (35.1%).

According to the union, workers are rotated every 15 minutes between tasks such as checkout, serving, and customer support. Due to frequent changes in work location, they often cannot take their breaks or meal times in full.

Workers also reported being unable to properly use IKEA’s workplace rest tradition known as Fika—a Swedish term for a coffee break, which the company advertises on its website as a key part of its corporate culture. While office and managerial staff reportedly enjoy regular Fika breaks, store employees say they are often excluded.

In response to the question of whether Fika is equally available to all staff, 91.4% of workers answered “no.” When asked if they believed only managers and office workers could freely use Fika, 87.3% said “yes.”

The union also criticised what it described as ongoing attempts to roll back labour conditions under the leadership of IKEA Korea’s current CEO, Isabelle Puig.