Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) will supply Herman Miller chairs costing nearly 2 million won ($1,400) each across all sites of its semiconductor division. The move follows SK hynix (000660.KS), which earlier rolled out Herman Miller chairs for all of its employees, and shows how competition among chipmakers is spreading beyond performance bonuses to working conditions.
Samsung Electronics has decided to introduce Herman Miller's New Aeron Light Plus at all sites of its Device Solutions (DS) division, according to industry sources on the 26th. Chairs will be replaced site by site, with delivery to be completed by the second half of next year. Some areas already fitted with Steelcase chairs are excluded.
Herman Miller's Aeron is one of the best-known high-end ergonomic office chairs. The New Aeron Light Plus that Samsung Electronics is adopting is designed to support the lower back and spine of employees who sit for long stretches, with adjustments for different body types and postures. The retail price approaches 2 million won.
Samsung Electronics' DS division employs large numbers of people in chip design, research and development, and software, roles that keep them at their desks for extended periods. The rollout is seen as an effort to improve the daily work environment, reduce fatigue and raise job satisfaction.
The labor union also welcomed the decision. The Samsung Electronics chapter of the Chogiup (trans-enterprise) Labor Union told members on the 21st that the company had announced it would introduce Herman Miller chairs at all DS division sites, adding that the union views the step positively. The chapter said it would gather opinions on other areas where working conditions need improvement and discuss them with management.
Samsung Electronics is not the first chipmaker to adopt Herman Miller chairs. SK hynix decided in 2022 to provide them to all employees, with the stated aim of strengthening benefits that workers experience directly on the job.
With Samsung Electronics now making a large-scale purchase, the scope of the benefits competition among chipmakers is widening. Where the contest for talent once centered on pay and performance bonuses, it has recently extended to the broader work environment, including office space, equipment and amenities.
An industry official said employees feel changes to the work environment they use every day more keenly than one-off perks, adding that competition in the chip industry is spreading from compensation to improvements in working conditions.
