(Image Today)
With the total fertility rate in the second quarter recording a record low of 0.7, the pharmaceutical industry is making active efforts to become a family-friendly company. Various attempts are being made to balance work and family, such as opening daycare centers at workplaces, active use of flexible work arrangements, and financial support.
According to the industry on the 8th, Daewoong Pharmaceutical is the first domestic pharmaceutical company to set up a workplace daycare center. In 2011, it opened ‘Little Bear’ at its headquarters in Samseong-dong, Seoul. This year, it was also selected as the ‘Best Family-Friendly Company’ by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for the first time in the pharmaceutical industry.
Daewoong Pharmaceutical activated the spousal maternity leave system, and the ratio of users who worked for more than 10 days recorded 61% as of last year. In addition, during pregnancy and childcare, flexible working, such as working hour reduction, is encouraged.
▲ Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s daycare center ‘Little Bear’. (Photo courtesy of Daewoong Pharmaceutical)
Since then, workplace daycare centers have expanded throughout the pharmaceutical industry. GC Green Cross opened the ‘GC Child Care Center’ in Mogam Town, Yongin City, Gyeonggi Province in 2018. It was built as a two-story independent building on a land area of 2943㎡ (890 pyeong) by utilizing a large site. In 2020, Yuhan Corporation opened ‘Yuhan Willow Sprout’ on the first floor of its headquarters in Daebang-dong, Seoul.
Workplace daycare centers have been opened one after another at production plants. Chong Kun Dang opened the ‘Kids Bell Daycare Center’ in 2019 at the Cheonan factory in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do. It is a single-story building measuring 600m2 (182 pyeong) on a site of 2960m2 (897 pyeong). It is located in front of the main gate of the Cheonan plant, so parents can easily visit it during commuting and break times.
In 2021, Hanmi Pharmaceutical opened a 2-story, 1-story “Hanmi Dream Daycare Center” in the Paltan Industrial Complex in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do. The 2nd Hanmi Tower, which is being built in Bangi-dong, Seoul, will also have a daycare center.
▲At the opening ceremony of the Aytonton Daycare Center held on the 1st, Osstem Implant CEO Um Tae-gwan (upper left) is looking around the main facilities in the hospital. (Photo courtesy of Osstem Implant)
Medical device companies have also taken steps to balance work and family life. Starting this month, Osstem Implant will operate the ‘Aytonton Daycare Center’ in the headquarters of the Magok Central Research Center in Seoul. It has a total floor area of 373m² (about 115 pyeong) and has 42 students and 9 teachers. For professional childcare and education services, the operation was entrusted to the Hansol Children’s Daycare Foundation.
In addition to the daycare center, Osstem Implant has prepared various welfare benefits to create a family-friendly workplace. Examples include childcare allowances for preschoolers, congratulatory money for children entering elementary, middle, and high school, and support for school expenses for university students.
