Insurance Law Association, Autumn Academic Conference on the Relationship Between Insurance and Labor Law
[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Hyung-gil] As the government is promoting the application of employment insurance to special occupations such as insurance planners, there is a claim that the insured should be allowed to choose whether to enroll according to their needs.
The Korean Insurance Law Association and Kyungpook National University Law Research Institute held an autumn academic conference on the 30th at Kyungpook National University Law School under the theme "The Relationship between Insurance and Labor Law."
Choi Byung-moon, a lawyer at Chungjung Law Firm, said in a session presentation, "It is inappropriate to introduce an unemployment benefit system designed to prepare for involuntary unemployment of workers to insurance planners, who mostly resign voluntarily," and predicted, "With the application of the four major insurances starting with employment insurance, the insurance industry will face increased costs, making it difficult to maintain the current level of planners, which will lead to a decrease in insurance planner jobs."
He added, "If the account of general workers is used for the application of employment insurance to special occupations, conflicts with general workers over cost burdens and a significant threat to the financial stability of the unemployment benefit fund may arise, so the unemployment benefit accounts for general workers and special occupations should be separated."
The current premium contribution rates are 50% each by employers and employees for general workers, and 100% by the self-employed, but due to the increase in labor costs caused by mandatory employment insurance application, which may lead to direct and indirect employment adjustments, it was suggested that the contribution rate for special occupations should be set between 50% and 100%.
Also, Lawyer Choi said, "To prevent consumer damage such as neglect of contract maintenance and a decrease in contract retention rates caused by inducing transient planners and mass production of orphan contracts, a mechanism should be established to apply employment insurance after a certain period from the consignment date," and "there should also be restrictions on cases where insurance planners receive unemployment benefits after meeting only the minimum eligibility requirements, then re-employ as insurance planners and receive unemployment benefits again after meeting the eligibility requirements."
Furthermore, Professor Kwon Hyuk of Pusan National University emphasized, "New labor provision relationships like those of insurance planners will expand further in the future," and "Labor laws and related regulations should be revised accordingly."
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