"Such free meals three times a day" makes me want to go to work... Why doesn't our company have that?

I also want to come to work here.

Everyday, the king's meal lol

Menus from the cafeteria taken by Samsung Biologics employees. [Provided by Samsung Biologics employees]

 

 

[Herald Economy = Reporter Kim Sang-su] "Is this kind of meal table free for three meals a day?"

 

Samsung Biologics' cafeteria is famous even in the nearby area. It offers three meals a day free of charge to employees. The menu is diverse, ranging from Korean to Western cuisine, and employees working late shifts can also enjoy late-night snacks.

 

Naver also provides free lunch and dinner for employees at the company cafeteria. Although each meal costs 7,000 won, the company supports the expenses. The variety of menu options has become famous enough to be mentioned on entertainment programs.

 

In an era of soaring prices where even a single kimchi stew costs 10,000 won, the on-site cafeteria is gaining attention as an employee benefit. Seven out of ten office workers consider the on-site cafeteria an important part of employee welfare.

 

However, the gap between large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was also found to be significant. To operate an in-house cafeteria without major losses, 'scale' is fundamentally essential, but for small businesses with fewer employees, managing the cafeteria is a considerable burden.

 

In reality, the presence or absence of an on-site cafeteria varied significantly depending on the size of the company. Among companies with fewer than 30 employees, 64% did not have an on-site cafeteria. Conversely, among companies with more than 300 employees, 78.1% had an on-site cafeteria.

 

Due to the impact of high prices, lunch costs have surged, and as meal benefits become more important among employees, companies without cafeterias are facing increasing concerns.

 

The CEO of a small business said, "Although providing meals up to the company cafeteria is difficult, we have decided to offer free snacks or ramen, and we are also considering a coupon system for nearby restaurants," and added, "These days, such meal benefits seem to be essential for small businesses to hire young employees."

 

Kim Sang-su dlcw@heraldcorp.com

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