Congratulations on not getting married, here's 100,000 won

Lotte Department Store's product division office at WeWork in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. [LOTTE DEPARTMENT STORE]

Companies are rolling out benefit programs for unmarried employees and for those with pets.

While perks have traditionally been focused on married people and their families, and include such benefits as childbirth subsidies and additional allowance for families with multiple children, companies are implementing subsidies for pets or giving holidays to people who proclaim their intention to stay single.

Lotte Department Store will let unmarried employees over the age of 40 go on holidays or receive congratulatory allowances that are usually given to employees when they marry. As unmarried employees do not hold wedding ceremonies, plants will be provided instead of wreaths that are given out to employees who hold weddings.

The new programs are in line with the decreasing number of marriages and the falling birthrate. They will not overlap with existing allowances or holidays for married employees.

Pet owners were also targeted by Lotte. One day of funeral leave will be provided to employees who hold funerals for pets, such as dogs and cats. Funeral leave for pets is also allowed to those who do not live with their pets, such as employees who keep pets with their parents.

These new welfare programs were proposed by younger Lotte Department Store employees.

“In this day and age when the number of people who own pets has reached 15 million, we are establishing these new welfare programs to recognize employee pets as family members and to comfort employees who have parted from their pets,” said a spokesperson from Lotte Department Store.

“These programs are measures to boost morale and raise job satisfaction by increasing practical welfare that employees can relate to.”

Similar programs have been popping up since the late 2010s, but have accelerated with diversity, equity and fairness becoming a priority.

In 2017, Lush Korea — known for eco-friendly cosmetics — started offering the same benefits to employees announcing their plans to stay unwed as those who do get married.

Employees can apply to get a congratulatory allowance and 10 days of vacation that employees would normally receive for their honeymoon. Fifteen staffers at Lush Korea signed up over the past five years.

The company also pays a monthly pet allowance of 50,000 won ($37.3) to unmarried employees with pets. Married employees with children are paid childcare subsidies, so the monthly pet allowance is part of an effort to recognize pets as family members.

“The pet allowance was first proposed by our CEO after seeing an employee mourning when his dog passed away,” said a spokesperson for Lush Korea. “The welfare program for employees who declare not to get married has been received well within the company.”

Shinhan Bank has been providing unmarried employees with 100,000 won a year in support. The purpose is to balance the congratulatory allowance paid to married employees on wedding anniversaries.

Game publisher Pearl Abyss supports pet insurance as part of their benefits. Backpacker, operator of handmade product platform Idus, allows employees to come to work with their pets.

“This is not just a phenomenon happening in Korea but also in other countries,” said Suh Yong-gu, a professor of business administration at Sookmyung Women’s University.

BY BAEK IL-HYUN [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]