Workplace Bullying Persists in Businesses with Fewer Than 5 Employees Despite Law Enforcement

[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] A survey revealed that one in three office workers has experienced workplace harassment even after the so-called 'Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act' was enacted.

Last month, Embrain Public, a public opinion research firm, conducted a survey of 1,000 office workers commissioned by the labor rights organization Workplace Gapjil 119 and the Public Coexistence Solidarity Fund. The results showed that 32.5% of respondents reported having experienced workplace harassment.

This represents a 12.9 percentage point decrease compared to a survey conducted in June last year, the first anniversary of the Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act. However, 43% of respondents said that harassment had not decreased even after the law was implemented, and 53.6% reported that they had never received education related to workplace harassment. These statistics suggest that workplace harassment remains an issue despite the law's enforcement.

Furthermore, the situation appears to be more severe in workplaces with fewer than five employees, which are exempt from the law. The proportion of respondents who experienced harassment was 36%, exceeding the overall average. Additionally, 46.9% of respondents in these small workplaces said harassment had not decreased since the law's enactment, higher than the overall average.

Meanwhile, the recently amended Labor Standards Act, revised last month, supplements the previous lack of penalty provisions by stipulating fines for employers who neglect workplace harassment incidents. However, since these provisions do not extend to workplaces with fewer than five employees, questions remain about the law's effectiveness.

In response, Workplace Gapjil 119 stated, "Awareness of the seriousness of workplace harassment has increased since the revised law was implemented, which seems to have led to an overall decrease in harassment." However, they also urged, "Workplaces with fewer than five employees remain defenseless against workplace gapjil, so it is necessary to amend the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Standards Act following the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission."