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As the government announced it will launch a "short-term parental leave system" that pays parental leave benefits in one- to two-week increments starting Aug. 20, moves within the pharmaceutical industry to overhaul internal systems aimed at preventing career disruptions following parental leave are drawing attention.
According to Daewoong Pharmaceutical's "2026 Sustainability Management Report" disclosed on the 30th of last month, the return-to-work rate among employees who took parental leave in 2024 reached 96%, based on the previous disclosure (the 2025 report). The company explained this was the result of operating a communication system between departments and the human resources team before and after leave, and linking it with the in-house Career Development Program (CDP) to minimize career gaps.
Indeed, Daewoong Pharmaceutical has maintained its family-friendly company certification for more than 12 consecutive years since first receiving it in 2008 in a review overseen by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and was named to the newly created "Family-Friendly Leading Company" category this year. In this review, Daewoong Pharmaceutical scored 95.7 out of a possible 100 points, exceeding the overall average (86.6 points), and notably received a perfect score in the management leadership category. In 2022, it also earned the title of "Best Family-Friendly Company."
Within the company, actual results from flexible work arrangements and career transition programs are also emerging. Representative examples include employees who transitioned from research roles to the new drug technology strategy field (C&D Strategy Team) through the in-house CDP, or who, after returning, used flexible work arrangements to introduce a digital healthcare platform to clinics and hospitals. In addition, customized exercise programs for employees returning after childbirth and a culture that does not ask the reasons for leave are cited as factors driving the return-to-work rate.
Such investment in organizational culture has also led to improvements in external ESG evaluation metrics. Daewoong Pharmaceutical earned an A+ rating in the social (S) category in the 2025 ESG evaluation released by the Korea Institute of Corporate Governance and Sustainability (KCGS). This is a one-notch improvement from the A rating the previous year. Over the same period, its integrated rating and environmental (E) rating also both rose to A grades.
