Kwon Ik-wi: "Employers to Bear Physical Examination Costs for Public Institutions"

Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] It has been determined that public institutions, as employers, must bear the cost of medical examinations when hiring employees.

On the 26th, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC) expressed the opinion that the medical examination fees paid by candidates applying to public institutions should be refunded to them.

According to the ACRC, Public Institution A extended the retirement age for security and cleaning staff to 65 years old and, after certain evaluations, appointed them as contract workers to allow them to work up to 68 years old. In this process, to assess whether older employees could perform their duties, all evaluation candidates were required to submit medical examination results. A complainant filed a grievance with the ACRC requesting that the medical examination fees be refunded to all candidates who failed the hiring process.

In response, the ACRC judged that the current "Act on the Fairness of Hiring Procedures," which prohibits all monetary burdens except for the cost of submitting application documents, also includes the cost of medical examinations for hiring. It is considered desirable to refund the medical examination fees to candidates who failed the hiring test.

An Junho, Director of the Grievance Handling Bureau at the ACRC, said, "Taking this grievance resolution as an opportunity, when medical examinations are necessary during public institution hiring, the employer bearing the cost is expected to reduce the burden on job seekers, including young people."