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Subject   January 2019 - The Workplace Harassment Prevention Law and the Employer’s Duty
I. Introduction
Recently workplace harassment within large corporations has become a social problem. Every day it seems that the executives of these companies are reported by the media on issues such as abusive language, assault, and inhumane treatment of their employees, but these acts which are revealed to the public are but the tip of the iceberg. According to a survey by the Korea Labor Institute, 66.3% of respondents said that they had experienced direct harassment at their workplace in the past five years. Also, according to the Human Rights Commission's survey, 73.3% of respondents experienced workplace harassment over the past year.. The average number of harassment was 10.0 cases, the experience of personal harassment was 39.0%, and the experience of collective harassment was 5.6%. These workplace harassments have resulted in negative reactions such as consideration of resignation (66.9%), less confidence in the company and its senior officials (64.9%), a decline in work performance and concentration (64.9%), and a reluctance to relate with peers (33.3%).
The damage due to workplace harassment continues to grow and so the Workplace Harassment Prevention Law was enacted because of public demand for improvement. This Law, as it was finalized, was a considerable retreat from the original legislative initiatives. When first suggested in April 2018, it included very strong articles: (1) the obligation of the employer to provide training on harassment prevention in the workplace, and (2) a victim of workplace harassment could seek remedy through the labor relations commission. These were both deleted in the final draft. Nevertheless, it is meaningful that it was introduced into the Labor Standards Act. The details are described below.

II. Content of the Workplace Harassment Prevention Law
1. Amendments to the Labor Standards Act
(1) The employer's obligation to prohibit workplace harassment
Article 76-2 (Prohibition of Workplace Harassment) The employer or an employee shall not cause physical or mental suffering or deteriorate the working environment, exceeding the appropriate level of bearable limits, by taking advantage of his or her position or relationship in the workplace (hereinafter referred to as " workplace harassment").
(2) Obligations of the employer in case of an occurrence of workplace harassment
Article 76-3 (Measures in case of bullying in the workplace) ① Any employee who has been informed of the occurrence of workplace harassment can report the fact to the employer.
② The employer shall conduct an investigation to confirm the facts without delay if the employer acknowledges the occurrence of harassment in the workplace or accepts a notification under Paragraph 1 above.
③ The employer shall, when necessary for the protection of workers who have suffered damage related to workplace harassment within the period of investigation pursuant to paragraph 2 (hereinafter referred to as "victims"), implement appropriate measures such as a change of place of work, paid leave order, etc. In this case, the employer shall not take such measures against the will of the victim.
④ The employer shall take appropriate measures such as changing the place of work, job transfer, order of paid leave etc. when the victim requests it, if the fact of workplace harassment is confirmed as a result of the investigation pursuant to Paragraph 2 above.
⑤ The employer shall take all necessary measures such as disciplinary punishment, change of work place, etc. without delay when it is confirmed that workplace harassment has occurred. In this case, the employer shall consider the opinion of the victim about the proposed measures prior to taking any action, such as disciplinary action.
⑥ The employer shall not dismiss or take any other unfavorable steps against the employee who reported the occurrence of harassment in the workplace or the victim.
(3) Addition of required items listed in the Rules of Employment
Article 93 (Preparation and Filing of Rules of Employment) 11. Matters concerning prevention of and measures to handle an occurrence of workplace harassment
(4) Prohibition of disadvantaged treatment of complainant or victim
Article 109 (Penalty) The employer shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than three years or a fine of not more than KRW 30 million if found in violation of Paragraph 6 of Articles 76-3 of this Act.

2. Amendment to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act
Article 37 (1) of the IACI Act, which lists reasons for acceptance as occupational diseases, has added "illness caused by work-related mental stress, such as workplace harassment and abuse of the worker pursuant to Article 76-2 of the Labor Standards Act".

3. Amendments to the Industrial Safety and Health Act
Article 4 of the ISH Act (Government obligations) added a new item: “10. Establishment, guidance and support of measures to prevent workplace harassment pursuant to Article 76-2 of the Labor Standards Act”.

III. Explanation of Workplace Harassment
1. Definition of workplace harassment
It is meaningful that the definition of workplace harassment clearly defines the obligations of the related employer and the standard of related harassment incidents. Until this concept was established, the labor law had no legal obligation or liability for workplace harassment. Therefore, under the existing legal system, the measures that a victim who had been harassed in the workplace could take to the employer included (1) a claim for damages based on the liability of the victim for illegal acts (Article 750 of the Civil Act); 2) a suit for damages (violation of the obligation of safety considerations by labor contract) (Article 390 of the Civil Act), and (3) a complaint under Article 30 (Human Rights Violation) of the National Human Rights Commission Act. In general, it is very meaningful that the Labor Standards Act has stipulated a definition of workplace harassment in order to strengthen the obligations of employers and to protect the workers with measures to receive remedy for workplace harassment.

2. Establishment of the employer's duty for action in case of workplace harassment
In case of workplace harassment, the victim or a third party can notify the employer. An employer who has been informed of the occurrence of workplace harassment must conduct an investigation to confirm the fact. In the course of this investigation, measures should be taken to protect the victim and, if the investigation confirms the workplace harassment, disciplinary action should be taken without delay.
In the event of such workplace harassment, the rules for reporting and the processing procedures in the workplace apply equally to the sexual harassment remedy procedures under Article 14 of the Equal Employment Act. Nevertheless, the Equal Employment Act enforces a fine of up to KRW 10 million if a company does not investigate and take appropriate measures when sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, but there is no similar penalty clause in the Workplace Harassment Prohibition Law. In addition, even if the employer has sexual harassment in the workplace, there is a penalty in the Equal Employment Act, but there is no fine in the amendment bill of the Labor Standards Law prohibiting workplace harassment if the employer becomes a perpetrator. Provided, in the same way as the Equal Employment Act, if the employer gives unfavorable treatment to employees and victims who have reported workplace harassment, the employer can be punished by imprisonment for up to three years or a fine of up to KRW 30 million.

3. The addition of ‘workplace harassment’ in the required items of the Rules of Employment
An employer who routinely employs 10 or more workers must fill out the 12 required items in the Rules of Employment and report them to the Minister of Employment and Labor (Ar

File   20220329171141_305.pdf
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219 (1/11)
No Subject
219 March 2024 - Case Study: Appropriate Employer Response to Workplace Harassment Reports
218 February 2024 - Whether a Study Room Manager’s Working Hours can be recognized as Full-time Work
217 January 2024 -Appropriate Responses to Different Types of Industrial Actions
216 December 2023 - The Workplace Harassment Case Involving a Dispatched Worker
215 November 2023 - Workplace Harassment Cases Arising from Excessive Work by a Superior
214 October 2023 - Precedents Following the Supreme Court's Unanimous Decision on Ordinary Wages
213 September 2023 - Work-Related Fatality: Army Sergeant Dies due to Overwork
212 August 2023 - Workplace Harassment after Employee Request for Remedy against Unfair Demotion
211 July 2023 - Case Study: A Claim of Workplace Harassment and the related Handling Process
210 June 2023 - Selection of Employee Representatives & Effects
209 May 2023 - Workplace Sexual Harassment and Bullying: A Case Analysis - Supreme Court ruling on November 25, 2021, 2020da270503 -
208 April 2023 - Labor Inspection over Unpaid Wages for Temporary Workers
207 March 2023 - Dismissal of the Finance Director of a Foreign-invested Company
206 February 2023 - Workplace Harassment Resolved through Recognition of an Accident as Related to Work
205 January 2023 - A Case of Workplace Harassment and the Criteria for Recognizing Consequent Mental Illness as an Occupational Accident
204 December 2022 - Cases of Workplace Bullying & Sexual Harassment and Disciplinary Committee Decisions
203 November 2022 - The Confusing Administrative Interpretation from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on Calculating Severance Pay
202 October 2022 - When Workplace Harassment Occurs, What Measures Should an Employer Take?
201 September 2022 - Dismissal of Offline Employees due to Transferring of Business to the Internet
200 August 2022 - A Case Study on Workplace Harassment against a New Employee

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