"No Exclusion of Women Due to Maternity Leave... Family-Friendly Culture Boosts Performance" [K Population Strategy]

(43) Interview with Sandra Bintgetter, Vice President of Deutsche Telekom
Women in management roles exceed 40% thanks to gender quota
Company contacts employees during parental leave as part of return-to-work support

Editor's NoteThe key to solving South Korea's population problem lies within companies. A corporate atmosphere that evaluates employees based on their work regardless of gender and a family-friendly culture are crucial to addressing the K-population issue. While 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 plans to visit companies leading family-friendly policies to identify the factors that helped these systems settle stably, and to explore various solutions with companies that lack realistic conditions. Through this, we aim to encourage change starting from companies and analyze the government's role in making this possible. We listen to voices emphasizing that company culture and atmosphere that reduce psychological burdens are more important than financial support, and present alternatives from diverse perspectives.

Sandra Bintgetter, Vice President of Deutsche Telekom, a German telecommunications company / Provided by Deutsche Telekom

"Ultimately, companies must treat employees as human beings." Germany has been stuck in a slump with a total fertility rate around 1.3 since the 1980s. However, since 2015, it has succeeded in rebounding to around 1.5. At the center of this was Deutsche Telekom, Germany's largest mobile telecommunications company, which focused on work-family balance and human-centered management.

Sandra Wintgetter, Vice President of Deutsche Telekom, said in an interview with Asia Economy on the 15th, "A culture that secures diversity within the company and views employees as human beings must be established in companies." She also advised that Korean society, which is experiencing low birth rates, must persistently challenge itself until a culture that values work-family balance is firmly rooted.

Gender Quotas: A Solution to Labor Shortages

Deutsche Telekom is one of the companies striving to secure gender diversity. As of 2022, women accounted for 42.4% of managerial positions within Deutsche Telekom's German branch. It was not always diverse in terms of gender. In 2010, there was not a single woman among the executives. However, with Germany's population decline, the pool of skilled professionals the company could hire also sharply decreased. The working-age population, which was 56 million in 2000, dropped to 54 million in 2010. At the same time, industries such as IT and computing faced labor shortages. According to a survey by the German media group Bertelsmann Foundation, 73% of all German companies reported labor shortages as of 2022. Vice President Wintgetter explained, "Deutsche Telekom also struggled to find skilled employees."

Deutsche Telekom judged that without securing internal diversity by giving opportunities to women, it would not be able to retain capable professionals. In 2010, Deutsche Telekom became the first company included in Germany's Frankfurt Stock Exchange DAX index to implement a gender quota system. The gender quota did not hinder the company's growth at all. The total assets of Deutsche Telekom Group, which were 129.4 billion euros (approximately 188.3 trillion KRW) in 2014, grew to 281.6 billion euros by 2021. Vice President Wintgetter said, "Securing gender diversity is linked to attracting high-level talent," adding, "With the introduction of the gender quota, we succeeded in bringing more capable women into management." Furthermore, CEO Tim H?ttges also regards securing gender diversity as a key factor in management success.

Work-Family Balance Supporting Gender Quotas

"Change did not happen with gender quotas alone." Vice President Wintgetter emphasized that establishing systems for work-family balance was also necessary. In Germany, there was once a widespread perception that childcare was solely a woman's responsibility. Women were often forced to choose between work and caregiving. Wintgetter said, "Even when women became managers, many gave up work due to caregiving responsibilities," adding, "The company could not ignore such situations."

To realize gender quotas, Deutsche Telekom began introducing systems related to work-family balance. Employees gained the freedom to manage their own time. A flexible work system was introduced that allowed employees to choose part-time work if needed. High-quality workplace daycare centers were established to reduce parents' caregiving burdens. Vice President Wintgetter said, "Above all, culture is important," emphasizing, "Good policies or programs are useless unless the company supports individual choices both materially and psychologically. The management's determination to create a good culture is key."

Particularly, Deutsche Telekom focused on female 'role models.' Demonstrating that work-family balance is possible encourages employees to confidently use flexible work systems or parental leave. Women on maternity leave can apply for higher managerial positions. If promoted, they return to their new positions upon reinstatement. Wintgetter said, "Above all, there must be role models among women in high positions," noting, "Currently, two out of three female directors have children. This is a remarkable result compared to the past when there were no female executives."

Maintaining Contact During Leave: "No Exclusion Due to Childbirth"

Another area Deutsche Telekom paid attention to was female employees taking leave before and after childbirth. Employees returning from long maternity leave often struggled to readjust to the company. To ease this adjustment, Deutsche Telekom introduced the 'Stay in Contact T' program. Female employees on maternity leave regularly communicate with company representatives to stay informed about work-related matters. This approach differs from domestic companies that provide training only shortly before return from maternity or parental leave. Employees can participate in team meetings or social gatherings if they wish. If the company needs temporary help for events, it may offer part-time work to employees on maternity leave. This allows employees to earn some pocket money and take a short break from childcare.

"Employees should not be just administratively ours but actually remain within our sight." Vice President Wintgetter emphasized that continuously providing company information to employees on maternity or parental leave is key to preventing their exclusion. She said, "We do not assign work to employees on maternity leave?that is prohibited by German law," adding, "Deutsche Telekom employees preferred maintaining relationships with their departments rather than distancing themselves from the company."

Vice President Wintgetter expressed a negative view on mandating long parental leaves. She said, "Deutsche Telekom encourages parents to take leave for their children but does not make it compulsory," adding, "No employee takes more than a year of parental leave at once. Male employees typically take 2 to 7 months, and female employees 6 to 12 months of parental leave." She also noted, "Taking long leaves for childcare causes prolonged job vacancies," emphasizing, "The key is a culture that allows employees to temporarily focus on family when they want."

A workplace daycare center located at Deutsche Telekom, a German telecommunications company. Deutsche Telekom provides maximum support to ensure that female employees do not quit their jobs due to childcare responsibilities. Photo by Deutsche Telekom

"Career Development, Not Just Work Adjustment, Is the Purpose of Training"

Deutsche Telekom operates the 'Care with Child' training program for employees returning from maternity leave. The program's purpose is not merely to help employees adjust to work but to develop women's careers. Vice President Wintgetter said, "This program focuses on enhancing the careers of women who inevitably cannot fully concentrate on work due to childcare," adding, "Participants consult role models and build networks to find life models."

The company does not focus solely on internal talent development. Since 2007, Deutsche Telekom has partnered with the female education platform 'Femtec Network' to select 50 scholarship recipients annually. It especially supports women studying in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, producing over 1,000 graduates. These graduates can also become future talents for Deutsche Telekom. Vice President Wintgetter said, "Last year, Deutsche Telekom hired seven Femtec Network graduates," adding, "Deutsche Telekom and university students have developed a close collaboration because high-level talent and students need opportunities to showcase their abilities."

Alongside a Family-Friendly Culture... Employee Engagement Increases

Vice President Wintgetter explained that once systems for work-family balance were established, a human-centered corporate culture followed. Treating employees as human beings increased their engagement at work. She said, "The company's leadership shifted to a people-first approach," adding, "Companies recognized employees not as cogs in a machine but as parents and children with lives outside of work."

She also offered encouragement to South Korea, which is experiencing low birth rates. Vice President Wintgetter said, "It is obvious that a family-friendly culture positively impacts companies, but it will take a long time to take root internally," advising, "Nevertheless, courage and patience are needed to wait until a family-friendly corporate culture is firmly established."

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

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