Handok has been re-certified as a leading family-friendly company by the Korean Ministry of Gender Equality and Family for four consecutive years, and will have maintained the qualification for a total of 14 years by November 30, 2025.

The family-friendly certification system certifies companies and public institutions with exemplary family-friendly working conditions that assist workers in creating a healthy balance between family and work. Handok was first certified as a family-friendly company in 2011, and was awarded the Prime Minister’s Commendation in 2019.

Handok was highly evaluated not only for introducing and operating a variety of family-friendly policies, but also for its corporate culture that facilitates their active utilization. The company implemented a biweekly holiday system in 1977, and introduced a five-day work week in 1998, much earlier than when it was legalized in 2005. It also runs a variety of flexible work systems that allow employees to adjust their working arrangements to suit their circumstances, such as its selective working hour system, telecommuting system, and remote working system. Currently, 8 of 10 employees are using a flexible working system. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for female employees on parental leave to be promoted during regular personnel reshuffling, while both male and female employees can take parental leave.

Handok’s family-friendly system is structured according to employee life cycle. During the time of pregnancy and childbirth, employees can take leaves for fertility treatments and prenatal check-ups, use the mother’s rooms and seats reserved for pregnant women in the cafeteria, receive money gifts for childbirth, and use welfare points to pay postpartum care center expenses and check-ups for related illnesses. Employees seeking time for childcare or self-development can utilize various flexible work systems, while those planning to retire or otherwise move on are eligible for training subsidies and time to prepare for their future.

Handok Chairman & CEO Kim Young-jin stated, “The company can only accomplish greater achievements when its employees are happy and the company and employees grow together.” He added, “Going forward, we will ensure that the family-friendly corporate culture is reflected in the company’s systems and that such policies to achieve work-family balance will be fully utilized by the employees.”