POSCO Implements Korea's First 'Parental Leave Work-from-Home System'

Newly Established to Promote Childbirth and Expand Childcare Support... Full Implementation Starting July

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] POSCO is implementing the 'Career-Interrupted-Free Parental Leave Telecommuting System' for the first time among domestic companies.

POSCO has established the 'Career-Interrupted-Free Parental Leave Telecommuting System' to encourage childbirth and prevent career interruptions during childcare, allowing employees to balance childcare and work. The company plans to accept applications from interested employees starting this month and officially implement the system from July.

POSCO's 'Career-Interrupted-Free Parental Leave Telecommuting System' allows employees with children aged up to 8 years old or in the second grade of elementary school or below to apply for full-day (8 hours) or half-day (4 hours) telecommuting depending on their job conditions.

First, 'full-day telecommuting' means working the same hours as regular employees (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) with the same salary.

The 'half-day telecommuting' links the government's childcare support system, the 'Reduced Working Hours System during Parental Leave,' with POSCO's existing 'Convertible Time-Selection System' and telecommuting. Employees can choose working hours from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. according to their childcare environment.

Both 'full-day telecommuting' and '(Convertible Time-Selection System) half-day telecommuting' can be used for up to 2 years during employment, while '(Reduced Working Hours System during Parental Leave) half-day telecommuting' can be used for up to 2 years per child, combined with parental leave.

By actively utilizing this system, an employee with one child in the childcare period can convert up to 4 years to telecommuting by combining 2 years of full-day or (Convertible Time-Selection System) half-day telecommuting and 2 years of (Reduced Working Hours System during Parental Leave) half-day telecommuting. If the employee has two children, up to 6 years can be used.

'Full-day telecommuting' or '(Convertible Time-Selection System) half-day telecommuting' can be used for up to 2 years during employment.

POSCO applies the same salary, welfare benefits, and promotion opportunities to telecommuting employees as to regular employees during the telecommuting period. The company expects that employees who have been hesitant about taking parental leave due to career interruptions and household income reduction will actively use this system. Furthermore, POSCO plans to gradually expand the 'Career-Interrupted-Free Parental Leave Telecommuting System' at the group level in the future.

A representative from the Korean Population Association, which researches low birthrate issues, said, "Career interruption due to childcare is a common challenge that our society must address together," adding, "Depending on the conditions of telecommuting employees, indirect job creation effects are also expected, such as utilizing housekeeping and childcare helpers."

Meanwhile, POSCO has selected 'Presenting a POSCO-type Role Model for Solving Low Birthrate' as one of the 'Six Major Corporate Citizenship Representative Projects' to improve employees' quality of life through work-family balance and to address the social low birthrate issue. On the 14th of next month, POSCO will hold a 'Low Birthrate Symposium' in collaboration with related academic societies. This symposium will be held in an untact format and broadcast live via the POSCO Corporate Citizenship website (corporatecitizenship.posco.com) and YouTube.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.