A New Approach to Work-Life Balance
Kim Hyun-seon, a 44-year-old marketing professional at Beone Medicines Korea, starts her day by taking her nine-year-old triplet daughters to school. She finds that the 20-minute chat on the way to school about their plans for the day and the laughter they share leaves her energized and ready to tackle anything. Ms. Kim says she looks forward to March because it marks the start of vacation season, and she can enjoy walking to school with her triplets.
This routine became possible when she joined Beone Medicines Korea in September 2023. For many dual-income couples, mornings are filled with the challenges of feeding kids, sending them to school, and commuting to work. However, thanks to the company’s remote and flexible work policies, Ms. Kim can focus on preparing her children for school without worry.
Beone Medicines Korea is the Korean subsidiary of Beone Medicines, a global pharmaceutical company with over 12,000 employees across 45 countries. Out of 130 employees, 109 (84%) are women, and 10 out of 14 executives (71%) are women. The company’s philosophy is that both work and life should move in a better direction, making it easier for working parents like Ms. Kim to balance their responsibilities.
Flexible Work Policies Support Working Parents
The most popular policies among employees include remote and flexible work systems. Beone Medicines Korea has a basic policy of remote work for five days a week. Employees only need to commute to the company office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, when necessary for face-to-face meetings or business purposes. They can also adjust their commuting times as long as they work eight hours a day, with a focused work period from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
These systems allow employees to manage their children’s schedules, such as school commutes, parent-teacher consultations, and hospital visits, without burden. For example, Lee Soo-jin, a 46-year-old clinical project manager, moved to Gangwon Province. She had dreamed of a large family since childhood and adopted three children after giving birth to her second child. Her family moved to Chuncheon in February last year because of an alternative school there. She was confident she could work remotely even in a rural area.
Ms. Lee said, “Since there are already several colleagues who don’t live in the metropolitan area, such as Gangneung and Jeju Island, the company didn’t view my move to a rural area as strange at all.” Living in Chuncheon with her kids wouldn’t have been possible without remote work.
Supporting Remote Work Economically
Han Soo-min, a 39-year-old working in the drug pricing team, has twin daughters entering elementary school this year. Many parents take childcare leave around this time, but Ms. Han has no plans to apply for it. This is because she can take care of her children without pausing her work through remote and flexible work systems.
Ms. Han said, “Thanks to remote and flexible work, I’m happy to feel both the joy my children give and the achievement I get from work.”
The company also supports the economic needs required for remote work. When an employee joins, they receive 900,000 Korean won to purchase a monitor, desk, chair, etc. Additionally, they support communication costs (over 80,000 Korean won per month), office supplies, and internet costs (75,000 Korean won per month).
A Culture That Supports Families
Employees unanimously say that the company’s culture, which doesn’t make them feel uncomfortable regarding various situations arising from children—such as applying for and returning from childcare leave, school events, and sudden hospital visits—is a great strength. Working moms and dads don’t have to feel watched or intimidated at work due to childcare.
Choi Hye-ji, a 40-year-old who gave birth to her second child in 2024, was scheduled to return from childcare leave in February this year but returned in November last year. Not only did her child start sleeping through the night, but Ms. Choi also recovered enough physically to want to work sooner. Although she was worried about the company’s response, she said, “But the company contacted me saying ‘there’s no problem at all,’ so I could feel relieved.”
Additional Benefits and Support
In addition to personal annual leave, Beone Medicines Korea provides an additional 15 days of paid leave. Employees can use it during bridge holidays or for hospital visits, leading to high satisfaction. The company also operates a “quiet hours” system where employees don’t have to respond immediately to meetings or work contacts from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. This is to reduce the burden of feeling they must respond right away when work contacts come outside their working hours, as the company is global and working hours aren’t fixed.
