Woori Financial Group, Entire Group Participates in 'Social Distancing' Campaign

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyo-jin] Woori Financial Group announced on the 9th that all group companies will participate in the 'social distancing' campaign following the order of Chairman Sohn Tae-seung, who is serving as the chair of the COVID-19 Response Committee.

As part of the social distancing campaign, Woori Financial held a video conference on the 4th between Chairman Sohn and the CEOs of the group companies for the Response Committee meeting. Chairman Sohn stated, "The group plans to provide company-wide support to ensure customer safety and protect employees," adding, "Separately, it is very important that every employee strictly follows the preventive measures recommended by the government and experts."

Accordingly, Woori Bank is dispersing more than 20% of its headquarters staff to alternative workplaces such as the Woori Financial Namsan Tower and Seoul Training Center near the head office, in addition to the emergency alternative workplace set up in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. In the head office cafeteria, one entire row of seats facing each other at every table has been removed to prevent close contact among employees during meal times.

Additionally, the bank is actively utilizing the flexible work system already in place to stagger employees' commuting times and has granted two weeks of paid leave starting from the 2nd of this month to all pregnant employees, thereby participating in the social distancing campaign.

Woori Card and Woori Comprehensive Financial Services are also dispersing their headquarters and customer center staff to alternative workplaces and actively encouraging employees to stagger their commuting times. Furthermore, they plan to prepare for immediate implementation of remote work by organizing rotating work teams by department depending on the situation.

A representative from Woori FIS said, "As a subsidiary overseeing the group’s IT operations, we have set up an alternative workplace near our Sangam-dong office building and are dispersing some employees to ensure stable, uninterrupted, and flawless service."

A Woori Financial Group official stated, "Asset management companies within the group, such as Woori Global Asset Management and Woori PE, are already implementing remote work, and all group companies are actively participating in social distancing." He added, "Going forward, we will actively share various social distancing measures previously implemented by each group company across the entire group and expand these measures company-wide until the current crisis stabilizes."