For a workplace with families in mind: Policies matter, culture makes them real

At Mycronic our purpose is to “bring tomorrow’s electronics to life”, together. This includes supporting the people behind our innovations to the fullest. It is important to ensure a well-functioning work-life balance for our employees and to provide support throughout the various stages of their lives. Our policies and everyday behavior supports parental‑leave to the fullest, aligning with national legislation around the world. This is one important aspect in our commitment to support our employees.  

A first at Mycronic Korea  

In March 2025, engineer Darren Jeon, became the first father at our Korean office to take three months of parental leave, co‑parenting with his spouse before returning to work. This has been made possible by the 2025 government-mandated updates to Korean labor law which key focus is enabling the father’s participation in childcare. It is now easier for both parents to share the early months of their newborn child and it ensures that our colleagues in Korea can be fully present at home while staying on track at work.  

“Sharing childcare with my wife, not only made the responsibilities easier, it also gave us valuable time with our child. I truly enjoyed the experience, and it was refreshing to have the opportunity to fully step away from work for a while. Overall, it had a positive impact on our entire family. My wife gradually regained her energy as she no longer had to manage the childcare alone, and our daughter seemed more content, being cared for by both parents”, Darren explains.  

By implementing legal requirements, providing sufficient resources, guidance as well as embed them into our culture, we are proud that this example has already inspired other colleagues at Mycronic in Korea. This is how cultural change happens - one supportive organization, one real-life example - many positive effects. We are proud how it reflects that shared childcare and careers can go hand in hand at Mycronic.

Darren Jeon, Engineer, Pattern Generators, with his daughter.

The right culture makes a difference 

Creating space for life’s biggest moments requires more than legislation, it takes a culture to ensure employees feel confident maintaining their careers while becoming parents: 

• A people‑centric culture. We endorse a workplace where everyone can contribute and grow. In our culture we emphasize being authentic, warm, and confident because that’s what real support feels like. 

• Fair employment and inclusion. At Mycronic our policies underlines equal opportunities, non‑discrimination, and dignity at work.  

• Supportive approach. We strive to support our employees as much as possible within national regulations when they want to take parental leave. 

When our employees take parental leave, we want them to feel confident that they will return to meaningful work, supportive teams, and a company that values their wellbeing, careers and personal life.  

The updates in Korea at a quick glance:

• Couples can now take parental leave at the same time.  

• When both parents take leave concurrently, each can use up to 18 months (an increase from the previous 12 months).  
   

• Expanded paternity leave from 2025.  

• Fathers are eligible for 20 days of paid paternity leave, to be used within 120 days after birth.