Lotte Department Store Earns 'Human Rights Management System' Certification, Leads in Partner Rights Protection

Implementing a Mid- to Long-Term Roadmap for ESG Leadership
Operating the 'Rejoice Counseling Center' for Employee Emotional Care

Lotte Department Store announced on August 20 that it has become the first in the retail industry to obtain certification for the '2025 Human Rights Management System'.

'Rejoice' Psychological Counseling Center located on the 7th floor of Time Villas Suwon in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Provided by Lotte Department Store.

'Human rights management' refers to a management approach that implements activities necessary to realize human dignity and value for all stakeholders involved in corporate management, including employees, customers, business partners, and local communities.

The 'Human Rights Management System' is a certification program developed by the Korea Management Registrar (KMR) based on the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the National Human Rights Commission of Korea's human rights management guidelines, in accordance with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) standards. Based on this institution's certification, only six private companies in Korea, including Lotte Department Store, have received Human Rights Management System certification to date.

In 2023, Lotte Department Store proactively established a human rights management framework by conducting a 'third-party human rights impact assessment' through the Korea Management Registrar, becoming the first in the retail industry to do so. That year, the company received an 'Excellent' rating, and after continuing efforts to establish and solidify its human rights management framework, it achieved the 'Best' rating in the human rights impact assessment conducted last year. This year, taking another step forward, Lotte Department Store became the first in the retail sector to obtain Human Rights Management System certification, and is now implementing the system in accordance with an effective mid- to long-term roadmap.

Lotte Department Store is carrying out various human rights protection activities to create a 'respectful working environment.' For employees experiencing emotional stress during customer service, the company operates 'Mind Care for Customer Service Workers' training and has placed 'Communication Counselors' at stores nationwide, providing employees with a channel to discuss concerns and difficulties.

In addition, some stores operate the 'Rejoice Psychological Counseling Center', where employees can receive professional psychological counseling. Furthermore, for 'working mom' employees returning from parental leave, the company has organized the 'Work Mom CLUB' workshop to support organizational adaptation and career development. In recognition of these efforts, Lotte Department Store received a plaque of appreciation from the Low Birth Rate and Aging Society Committee in April of this year.

The company is also taking the lead in protecting the human rights of its key stakeholders-its business partners. Since July last year, it has introduced the 'Agreement Submission System' to protect the human rights of outsourced partner employees, ensure job stability, and improve working conditions. The agreement includes various responsibilities and obligations, such as establishing human rights protection policies and improving working conditions. Going forward, the company plans to gradually expand the system to cover all business partners, thereby strengthening sustainable partnerships.

Park Sungchul, Head of External Relations at Lotte Department Store, stated, "Human rights management is one of the core topics of ESG management," adding, "As we have become the first in the industry to obtain Human Rights Management System certification this year, we will continue to lead the industry with 'respect for human rights' as our top priority."

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