Wacker Chemicals Korea operates 18 diverse programs
Building an environment that lets employees focus on both family and work
Wacker Chemicals Korea, the Korean subsidiary of WACKER, a global chemical company headquartered in Munich, Germany, has been selected for an Encouragement Award at the '2024 Work-Family Balance Best Practices Essay Contest.'
The contest was organized to identify and share childcare support systems available during pregnancy and child-rearing, as well as various flexible work arrangements, among companies nationwide, with the aim of easing the parenting burden on working parents and spreading a family-friendly corporate culture. Wacker Chemicals Korea promotes work-life balance through 18 systems that support its members, including a range of pregnancy and childcare support programs and flexible work arrangements. In doing so, it has built an environment where employees can focus on both family and work. First, the company has produced a maternity protection guide that provides support from pregnancy through the postpartum period. In addition, it offers flexible working hours after childbirth (various work arrangements such as staggered start times and remote work) and leave programs (half-half-day leave in two-hour increments) to help employees raise their children. The number of male employees taking parental leave has also increased, with men accounting for 66% of all parental leave takers over the past three years. This is the result of fostering a corporate culture in which male employees can take parental leave with peace of mind. Since this January, in order to support childbirth and child-rearing costs, the company has newly established a tuition support program for children (up to KRW 200,000 per month for preschool children aged 5 to 7, as well as high school and university), pregnancy congratulatory welfare points (KRW 200,000), and a first-birthday congratulatory allowance (KRW 500,000 per occasion). It has also expanded support with an elementary school entrance gift and a childbirth allowance for the employee or their spouse (KRW 1 million).
In addition, the company operates a psychological counseling service to support employees' emotional well-being, along with a family experience program. In recognition of these efforts to implement various programs that enable the balance of work and family, the company received an Encouragement Award in this contest.
Jeon Seung-hyun, HR Manager at Wacker Chemicals Korea's Jincheon plant, said, "We are pleased that Wacker Chemicals Korea's work-family balance programs have been recognized externally as a model case through this award. We will continue to gather our members' opinions on the current programs and work to supplement and improve them."
Cho Dal-ho, CEO of Wacker Chemicals Korea, said, "Our company has actively practiced 'family-friendly management' in an effort to enhance employee satisfaction and strengthen the company's future competitiveness. We will continue to do our utmost to support our members so that they can deliver outstanding results while being satisfied."