GM Korea president and CEO Sergio Rocha has reportedly been encouraging female colleagues to take the time to better balance their work and families by telling pregnant workers that their babies are more important than their work.

“GM Korea issues pink ID cards to pregnant women, who are excluded from nightshift as well as other excessive duties,” he told several female reporters invited to the GM Korea 4th Women’s Conference held on Wednesday in Seoul.

Under the theme of “Growing Together,” female businesspeople from all over the country gathered to discuss gender equality at the workplace and what it’s like to work beneath a glass ceiling. 

GM Korea is currently known as one of the more female-friendly multinational firms here, with about 13 percent, or 850 out of 6,500 office workers, being women and one 1 of 3 vice-presidents or higher-level executives being women. To encourage women to work without worries, the U.S.-based carmaker set up breastfeeding rooms at production sites and offices. It will open an in-house daycare center with a capacity of 70 children soon.

Rocha said that because there are now more women at the workplace, GM cars have become more women-friendly.

“The center console box can hold a female purse. The doorknobs became rounder for women with painted nails while the vanity mirror and lighting on the sunshade help women apply makeup at night. I believe these changes were made after more women were placed at the interior design departments,” he said.

“It has been only 15 years since I saw the increase in female workers at GM. And I can tell it only gets better,” Rocha said with a smile.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)