"How Were You Raised?"... Office Worker Harassed by Boss Who Insults Parents

Increasing Cases of Resignation Due to Suffering from Boss's 'Parent Insults'
Possible to File Complaints for Violation of Labor Standards Act, Insult, and Defamation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] #. Office worker Kim Seungcheol (alias) suddenly felt ill in the early morning and applied for a half-day leave to visit the emergency room. After finishing the treatment and returning to work in the afternoon, the vice president immediately called him and scolded, "You get sick because you wander around like that all the time. How were you raised at home to behave like that?" Kim felt deeply humiliated by this incident and submitted his resignation letter.

Civil organization Workplace Power Harassment 119 disclosed on the 9th a case of workplace harassment where a superior insulted an employee by cursing their parents, coinciding with May, the month of family.

Workplace Power Harassment 119 pointed out that insulting someone's parents can constitute insult, defamation, and workplace harassment. A representative of the organization said, "If someone publicly insults another person, it can be prosecuted as insult, and if it damages their reputation, it can be prosecuted as defamation," adding, "Even without explicit curses, it can still be considered an insult."

Among the cases of verbal abuse involving cursing parents, there was also a public official superior. Lee Jonghyuk (alias), who worked on a fixed-term contract at a local county office, reported to Workplace Power Harassment 119 that his team leader, who was responsible for management, was abusing fellow employees. He stated, "I witnessed the superior calling a colleague regarding work and cursing their parents," and added, "Unable to endure the humiliation any longer, I resigned together with the affected employee in November last year."

The Ministry of Employment and Labor defines workplace harassment as ▲ acts that cause humiliation in front of other employees or online, or spread rumors about personal matters that damage reputation ▲ repeatedly assigning personal errands without reasonable cause ▲ refusing to acknowledge work ability or performance without reasonable cause or mocking, among others.

A representative from Workplace Power Harassment 119 emphasized, "Evidence is paramount," and urged, "After collecting evidence through records, recordings, and witness statements, one should report to the company or labor office or take legal action such as criminal complaints."

Meanwhile, starting from October 14, under the revised Labor Standards Act, employers (company heads) will be subject to fines of up to 10 million won for acts of workplace harassment against employees.