From
Send to

Lotte Department Store offers first-ever voluntary retirement

Sept. 24, 2021 - 12:09 By Kang Jae-eun
Lotte Department Store Logo (Lotte Shopping)
Lotte Department Store is offering its first-ever voluntary retirement since first opening 42 years ago.

The operator of the department store chain, Lotte Shopping, said Friday it told employees that it will be “accepting voluntary retirement applications for the next two weeks” in an internal announcement Thursday.

The restructuring program is particularly for staff members who have worked for the firm for more than 20 years.

Around 2,000 employees meet this qualification, the company said.

Voluntary retirees will receive a severance pay equal to 24-months of wage, 30 million won ($25,576) in compensations and 32 million won as children’s university tuition payments. The company said it will also provide reemployment training for those who decide to leave the firm.

“We’ve been making internal efforts to improve the business structure since last year, but we realized that may not be possible without reducing the current workforce,” said an official from the department store.

Various affiliates of Lotte Group have been offering voluntary retirements to slim-down its top-heavy workforce.

Last year, the group’s electronics store, Lotte High Mart, and its discount chain Lotte Mart each accepted voluntary retirements from its senior employees.