On November 26, Representative Jeong Hye-kyung of the Progressive Party held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Building to introduce a partial amendment to the Labor Standards Act aimed at preventing workplace harassment. She emphasized, “Regardless of income, employment relationship or contractual relationship, no one should be subjected to harassment by superiors or others in the workplace.”
This follows Hanni’s appearance at the Environment and Labor Committee’s National Assembly inspection, where she raised concerns about workplace harassment. However, on November 20, the Ministry of Employment and Labor ruled that under current laws, Hanni does not qualify as a “worker” and is thus not protected against workplace harassment.
Representative Jeong stated, “Not only NewJeans’ Hanni but also countless others in the workforce remain unprotected by this law. This is because the current law only prohibits workplace harassment within employer-employee relationships.”
She cited examples, saying, “Apartment security workers are often insulted, being told to ‘bark like a dog’, and some have even faced assault and harassment, leading to tragic suicides. However, in such special employment relationships, the current workplace harassment prevention laws are ineffective.”
The proposed amendment introduces special provisions for labor providers and artists. It also includes measures obligating employers to take action in cases of harassment by third parties and establishes penalties for perpetrators as well as employers who fail to take appropriate measures against workplace harassment.
Source: Naver
