Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province announced on December 24 that it has been re-certified in the '2025 Family-Friendly Certification' evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. With this, the city has maintained its status as a family-friendly certified institution for the fourth consecutive time since its initial certification in 2017.
Hanam City has been re-certified in the '2025 Family-Friendly Certification' evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Photo by Hanam City
The Family-Friendly Certification is a system granted to organizations that exemplarily implement family-friendly policies, such as support for childbirth and childrearing and flexible work arrangements, in accordance with the Act on the Promotion of the Creation of a Family-Friendly Social Environment. Through this re-certification, Hanam City will retain its certification status for three years, until November 30, 2028.
In this evaluation, Hanam City scored 87 points out of a possible 100 (including bonus points) in its self-assessment, significantly surpassing the re-certification threshold of 75 points.
The city has strengthened its practical support systems based on the responsibility that the public sector should take the lead in addressing the low birth rate issue. It received high marks for the utilization rates of parental leave and reduced working hours for both male and female employees, as well as for its excellent performance in employment retention rates, helping employees who return from leave to adapt smoothly.
In particular, the city stood out for its support for prospective parents. It provides financial assistance for infertility treatments and infertility leave, operates reduced working hours during pregnancy, and offers facilities such as nursing rooms and rest areas for expectant mothers, implementing detailed support measures.
Additionally, Hanam City actively hires substitute personnel during parental leave to reduce the workload of remaining colleagues and has fostered a mutually supportive organizational culture where everyone can comfortably utilize these systems.
The city was also highly regarded for its flexible work environment, which enhances both work efficiency and quality of life. It has promoted a system that allows employees to use annual leave in hourly increments and encourages employees to leave work on time every Wednesday through the 'Family Love Day' campaign, supporting work-life balance.
Furthermore, by operating employee counseling programs and providing support for self-development, Hanam City has created an environment where employees can focus on their work with a healthy mindset. In fact, employee satisfaction with the implementation of family-friendly policies and workplace culture received a perfect score of 10 out of 10.
Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam City, stated, "When public institutions take the lead in establishing a standard model for work-life balance, it serves as a catalyst for spreading a family-friendly culture throughout the community," adding, "We will continue to strive so that our healthy internal organizational culture translates into even more friendly and high-quality administrative services for our citizens."
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