[2021 Yangpyeong Index] Lotte Duty Free, Fostering Women Leadership Pool

On the 27th, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is taking a photo after presenting the Seoul Metropolitan Mayor Award for the Asia Gender Equality Index to Lotte Duty Free at the '2021 Asia Women Leaders Forum' hosted by Asia Economy at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Lotte Duty Free, which won the Seoul Metropolitan Mayor's Award at the 6th Asia Gender Equality Index Awards, has a high proportion of female employees and has established various systems to help female employees balance work and family life, such as extended parental leave, child school care leave, and infertility leave.

There is a high proportion of women in key positions such as strategic planning, global development, and finance, and the company is fostering a pool of female leaders by dispatching female overseas staff. Last year, the average length of service for female employees at Lotte Duty Free reached 14.8 years.

Lotte Duty Free is focusing on nurturing female leaders by having female team leaders participate annually in the 'Women Leader Mentoring Program.' Senior female leaders such as executives and team leaders within the group are matched with team leaders to conduct workshops and provide activity expenses. Through the 'WOW Forum' for female talent, external female leader lectures and cases of female talent development programs are also introduced.

By utilizing maternity protection leave systems, employees can take up to 49 months of leave. The company operates infertility leave (total 12 months), unpaid prenatal leave (10 months before childbirth), nursing leave (once a month for one year postpartum), extended parental leave (one year after statutory parental leave), and child school care leave (one year). The usage rate of reduced working hours during pregnancy is over 50%, and 100% of employees return after parental leave. For male employees, there is also a mandatory leave system allowing one month off after their spouse's childbirth.

Flexible working hours are implemented for headquarters staff, and a two-week cycle flexible work system is applied to all sales staff. Since COVID-19, a work-from-home system has also been operated for all employees.