Mental Breakdown After Care Classroom Rejection... Survival Secrets of First Grade Parents in the 'Working Mom's Grave' [K Population Strategy]

(11) All Employees Work from Home at 'Konibaierin'
Flexible Work Since Startup... Annual Sales Increasing with Growing Rate
Allows 2-Hour Daily Absence for Employees with Young Elementary Children

Editor's NoteThe key to solving South Korea's population problem lies within companies. A workplace culture that evaluates employees based on their work regardless of gender and a family-friendly environment are crucial to addressing the K population issue. Although low birth rates result from complex factors, it is important to ensure that workplace burdens do not become obstacles that make people hesitate to have children. Asia Economy visited companies leading family-friendly policies to identify the factors that helped these systems settle firmly, and plans to explore multifaceted solutions with companies facing practical challenges. Through this, we encourage change starting from companies and analyze the government's role in enabling this. We listen to voices emphasizing that company culture and atmosphere that reduce psychological burdens are more critical than financial support, and propose alternatives from various perspectives.

Kony Baby Carrier, a childcare product manufacturer known for its ‘Kony Baby Carrier,’ sells products in over 100 countries worldwide. All 55 employees work from their homes scattered across 24 cities in 4 countries. This is thanks to the full remote work system introduced from the company's founding in 2017. Despite ongoing debates about remote work productivity, Kony has rapidly grown, increasing its sales margin every year since 2020. Last year, six years after its founding, annual sales are estimated to have exceeded 30 billion KRW, a 16% increase from the previous year.

Many working moms were attracted to Kony because of its full remote work policy. Ninety percent of all employees are women, and more than half are working mothers. The full remote work system was introduced reflecting the will of CEO Im Irang (38), who was a woman who experienced career interruption after childbirth at the time of founding and wanted to build a company where childcare and career could coexist. The company puts great effort into establishing related systems. Rapid changes reflecting employees’ concerns are also for this reason.

A First Grader Working Mom Who Decided to Quit Was Retained by the Company

On December 22 last year, Song Myung-jin Lead focused on work after sending his first-grade elementary school daughter to school and then going to the home office set up at his residence. (Photo by Connie Byerin)

"I deeply realized why first grade is called the ‘graveyard of working moms.’ During the busy collaboration hours in the afternoon, I had to leave my desk intermittently, making work seem impossible. I said I would quit because I couldn’t let my work hours be disrupted, but instead of accepting my resignation, the company responded with ‘let’s solve this problem together.’"

Song Myungjin, Kony Brand Group Lead and a branding expert with 17 years of experience (41), confessed that she experienced utter ‘chaos’ balancing caring for her daughter, who entered elementary school last year, and her own work. She was a working mom who described herself as someone who pursues meaning in life through work and cared deeply about her career, but balancing work and childcare was not easy.

Song, who joined Kony in November 2020 when her daughter was in kindergarten, said, "Until my daughter entered elementary school, the pick-up and drop-off times (from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) were fixed and childcare hours were long, so it was not difficult at all." However, the situation changed completely after elementary school enrollment.

"Every day and every week, the pick-up and drop-off times were different. My child, who used to leave kindergarten at 6 p.m., started leaving school around noon after becoming an elementary student. The after-school classes, which followed dismissal, only started a month after enrollment even if you got accepted, and I was rejected from the care classroom that looked after children until evening. It was my only hope, but I didn’t know what to do when my child came home at noon, the prime working time. Most academies offer mostly one-hour classes, so if you spend time every hour on pick-up and drop-off, it’s impossible to focus on work continuously."

At that time, not only Song but also CEO Im was struggling with this issue as their children entered elementary school. Including them, four working moms with elementary school students at Kony began to create solutions together.

First, they strengthened the flexible leave system allowing employees to briefly leave during core working hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Korean time). For employees with young elementary school children, up to two hours per day adjustment was allowed at the beginning of the semester. Song explained that she used this system effectively during her daughter’s pick-up and drop-off times. They also introduced the ‘Jaranda Service,’ which provides 150,000 KRW per month per eligible employee to use childcare services so that childcare does not reduce concentration during remote work. Song said, "Thanks to this, all four parents managed to get through the year safely."

"If the Environment Is Like This, I Would Have a Second Child... I Was There for Her First Steps"

Jeon Minji, a 14-year veteran employee in product development at Kony, returned to work in October last year after an eight-month parental leave following the birth of her second daughter. She joined Kony in October 2020 and said, "In this environment, I felt I could have children and raise them without giving up work."

"My first and second daughters are 48 months apart. I kept hesitating about having a second child, so quite some time passed. Since I could physically be near the baby while working remotely, I thought I could use babysitter services to care for her at home. Thanks to that, I was able to decide on an early return to work."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Jeon MD returned to work before her daughter turned one during her first childbirth in 2019 while working at her previous company. At that time, the company required commuting to the office, so she had to use babysitter services from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., which was a financial burden, and she had no choice but to rely on her mother’s help. Now, with full remote work, she can use childcare services during focused work hours, reducing practical burdens and making her parents feel at ease.

Since she works from a home office set up in the master bedroom with only a door separating her from her child, Jeon MD did not miss her second daughter’s first steps. When she takes a break to get water, she can see her daughter’s face and play peekaboo before returning. Jeon said, "Hearing my daughter’s laughter from the next room reassures me," adding, "Even if unexpected situations arise, I can respond immediately because I’m nearby."

"My previous company also offered remote work and unlimited vacation, but it was not a 100% remote work environment like Kony. Commuting was the main mode, and remote work was supplementary, so I had to consider my team members during collaboration. Here, I save commuting time during the day to focus fully on my tasks and can concentrate solely on childcare after work, which is satisfying. Seeing the company grow significantly every year makes me believe that balancing remote work and childcare is entirely possible."

Balancing Childcare Burden with Husband... "Minimizing Sacrifice of Time with Children"

Song Lead and Jeon MD both said the key reason they moved to Kony was its full remote work policy that encourages childcare. They explained that thanks to remote work, they share childcare and household burdens more evenly with their husbands, which are usually heavily skewed toward women.

Song said about the childcare share with her husband, who works in finance, "It’s husband 60%, me 40%. Although my share is smaller, I cover core hours that commuters cannot, so my husband doesn’t seem to have major complaints." Jeon answered the same question by saying, "My husband, who works at a startup, also works remotely a lot, so we split childcare and housework about 50-50. My husband mainly cares for the first child, and I mainly care for the second."

However, remote work is not a panacea for balancing work and childcare. Both emphasized that doing work and childcare simultaneously at home is "impossible." Even if you are at home with your child, the spaces for childcare and work must be separated, and someone else needs to care for the child during work hours. The key is to prevent childcare from disrupting work concentration.

Song said, "Remote work and the flexible leave system are minimal measures that allow people to immerse themselves in work while not being completely disconnected from their children. It helps those who cannot give up work to minimize the sacrifice of once-in-a-lifetime time with their children." She added, "Although every day is hectic, the most satisfying part is that essential times such as school drop-off and pick-up, and evenings until bedtime with my child are sufficiently secured."

Jeon said, "Even though I have two children, I don’t think having children automatically entitles you to special treatment. If you are a professional receiving a salary from the company, you should responsibly perform your assigned tasks. I don’t want working moms to be seen as incapable. I believe a corporate culture should be created where individuals can autonomously manage their time and be evaluated based on the quality of their work results."

Special Coverage Team 'K Population Strategy - Gender Equality Is the Answer'

Reporters: Kim Yuri, Lee Hyunju, Jung Hyunjin, Boo Aeri, Gong Byungseon, Park Juni, Song Seungseop
Economic and Finance Editor: Kim Pilsoo