Major conglomerates are moving in tandem to bring in family-friendly policies under the new administration led by President Moon Jae-in, aligning themselves with the work-life balance focus of the new government.

Over the past month, companies such as CJ Group, SK Group and E-Land Group announced reforms to company regulations regarding issues such as maternity leave and after-hours work.

These reforms coincide with the talking points emphasized by President Moon Jae-in ahead of the election in early May.

“We must create an environment where parents can raise children together, balancing child-raising with work,” Moon said on a visit to a company in Gyeonggi Province in February.

“We must reduce working hours so that employees can go home on time, and enjoy their evenings, holidays, and vacations.”

In May, CJ Group announced a “corporate culture innovation plan” a week after Chairman Lee Jae-hyun returned to the helm following a four-year absence due to legal and health troubles.

The plan included a special one-month vacation for parents whose children were entering elementary school for the first time, as well as flexible working hours and a ban on work-related messages after hours or on weekends. Paternity leave was also extended from five days, which included two unpaid days, to two weeks of paid leave.

In early June, E-Land Group announced a series of corporate culture reforms that also included prohibitions on work-related messages or e-mails after working hours and two weeks’ paid paternity leave.

SK Group, meanwhile, implemented a new policy allowing parents to take off up to 90 days from work when a child enters elementary school. Work days were also reduced to six hours a day for women throughout their entire pregnancies.

Family-focused company policies are coming as companies are also moving to reduce their proportion of irregular, or contract workers. Moon is currently pushing to make all employees in the public sector regular workers – a status that entitles them to greater employment rights. Companies in the private sector have quickly announced new policies for transitioning contract workers to permanent positions. 

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)