Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, Receives Industrial Medal for Contributions to Gender Equality in Employment

Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced on the 30th that Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical, received the Industrial Medal in the individual category for contributions to gender employment equality at the ‘2023 Employment Equality Contribution Awards’.

Lee Chang-jae, CEO of Daewoong Pharmaceutical (left), is taking a commemorative photo with Lee Jeong-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, after receiving the Industrial Service Medal for Contributions to Gender Employment Equality at the '2023 Employment Equality Contribution Awards' ceremony.
[Photo by Daewoong Pharmaceutical]

The ‘Employment Equality Contribution Awards’ is an event hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to discover and select individuals and outstanding companies who have led efforts to create an employment environment where men and women can work equally and to promote awareness of employment equality. CEO Lee Chang-jae was recognized for his dedication to realizing employment equality through generous support for work-family balance and the establishment of a flexible and horizontal corporate culture. The award ceremony was held on the 26th at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical was the first in the industry to introduce a job-based pay system in 2016. Since the system evaluates employees based on performance and capabilities regardless of age, years of service, gender, or nationality, capable young female talents have been appointed to managerial positions and are demonstrating leadership in various fields. The proportion of women in key positions has steadily increased over the past three years, and the company plans to continue raising the female ratio to enhance gender balance. This year, Daewoong Pharmaceutical was also selected as the ‘Best Family-Friendly Company’ by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the first in the pharmaceutical industry to receive this honor.

Additionally, the company’s policies and systems introduced to enable flexible work regardless of time and place and to support work-family balance have received high praise. Daewoong Pharmaceutical established ‘Little Bear,’ a workplace daycare center, in 2011, the first in the pharmaceutical industry, allowing working moms and dads to perform their duties and achieve results without childcare concerns. Flexible work systems, such as reduced working hours during pregnancy and childcare periods, are actively encouraged and operated to protect maternal and paternal rights and to prevent career interruptions.

The spousal paternity leave system has also been promoted, with the rate of users taking more than 10 days of paternity leave increasing to 61% last year, up from 56% the previous year. In particular, the ‘Long-term Refresh Leave’ system, which grants one month of leave every five years of service for recharging, is actively used to enhance work focus and efficiency through refreshment and to support work-family balance. As a result of these policies, the number of female employees at Daewoong Pharmaceutical has increased annually, currently reaching about 40%, and the company was recently selected as a ‘Great Place To Work for Working Moms’ by the committee for selecting the best workplaces.

Since his appointment, CEO Lee Chang-jae has also led the creation of a flexible organizational culture by holding the ‘Happiness Festival,’ a monthly communication event with employees, to have honest conversations. At the Industrial Medal award ceremony, CEO Lee said, “I am pleased that the efforts made to ensure that all employees feel equal regardless of age, gender, years of service, or nationality and can grow through the company have borne fruit. We will continue to improve and strengthen related systems so that employees can gain stability in all areas of work and life and immerse themselves autonomously in their tasks, developing Daewoong Pharmaceutical into a ‘great place to work.’”