서울시 중소기업 가족친화제도의 효과성 분석 및 활성화 방안

Abstract

Family-friendly management is adopted as one of the policies to facilitate work and life balance. With the recent extremely low birth-rate, family-friendly management is becoming meaningful not only for the interests of individuals pursuing work and life compatibility but also for the social and public interest in the aspect of industrial development strategy. The issue concerning work and life balance has been raised among enterprises in Korea. However, except for some leading companies, the attempts to deal with the issue are remaining at the rudimentary level. This study investigates the family-friendly management being implemented at small and medium-sized enterprises in Seoul as well as their needs. Furthermore the study suggests some ways to facilitate the policy through analyzing the effects of family-friendly management importation and the demands for the policy. Among the surveyed employees working at small and medium-sized enterprises in Seoul, 31.3% of employees with children responded that they have considered for changing jobs due to child birth or care. As it is an initial stage of the policy in Korea, direct effects such as secured workforce are observed primarily, rather than the indirect effects such as promoted positive image of the enterprise or increased productivity. Suggested ways to promote and expand the policy are: proliferating education and consulting on family-friendly management; supporting through extended service of EAP(Employee Assistance Programs); increasing projects on family-friendly culture; and enlarging incentives to the enterprises implementing family-friendly management. Existing policies to tackle with the low birth-rate problem have been focusing on the improvement of child-care conditions and reduction of child-care expenses. Carrying out the existing policies together with the suggested ways to promote family-friendly social environment would maximize the effects.