Ghostwriting Papers for Bosses, Directing Children's Homework
Minister Lee Jeong-sik: "Supervision Until Organizational Culture Changes"
As a result of the Ministry of Employment and Labor's planned supervision of Saemaeul Geumgo and ShinHyup, numerous inappropriate acts such as workplace bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination against non-regular workers were detected. The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that since the closed and discriminatory behaviors of these institutions were found to be serious, they plan to conduct intensive labor inspections until the organizational culture changes.
On the 5th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced the results of the planned supervision of Saemaeul Geumgo and ShinHyup, stating that they "reconfirmed unreasonable and discriminatory organizational cultures and weak labor management practices." From October last year to January this year, the Ministry conducted planned supervision of a total of 60 Saemaeul Geumgo and ShinHyup locations. As a result, a total of 297 violations of labor-related laws were detected.
First, the Ministry confirmed a total of five cases of workplace bullying and sexual harassment, leading to judicial processing, fines, and disciplinary demands against the perpetrators. It was found that multiple workplace supervisors, such as managing directors and managers, touched female employees' heads, hands, pinched their cheeks, and gave back hugs at company dinners. There were also cases where whistleblowers of workplace bullying were disciplinarily dismissed, and employees who were late were required to write explanations with parental confirmation signatures, or where a father was called and shouted at threatening to dismiss (his child).
Additionally, the Ministry confirmed cases in 13 locations where non-regular workers were discriminated against without reasonable grounds, or female workers faced employment-related gender discrimination. Only fixed-term workers were denied benefits such as fitness allowances and family allowances, welfare regulations were applied only to regular workers, and female workers alone were not given a 500,000 KRW clothing allowance.
Unpaid wages totaling 929 million KRW were detected at 44 locations (829 people) due to unpaid overtime allowances for early arrivals before business hours and during special sales periods for financial products. In 15 locations, maternity protection regulations were not properly followed, such as requiring pregnant workers to work overtime.
Survey responses included reports of supervisors having graduate school reports and theses ghostwritten, personal errands, pressuring one spouse to resign, children's school homework, female employees being assigned only coffee errands and dishwashing, and zero days of annual leave used over one year.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor confirmed that labor management at Saemaeul Geumgo and ShinHyup is generally weak and held a meeting of responsible persons chaired by Director Lee Jeong-han of the Labor Policy Office. At this meeting, Director Lee stated, "Regardless of labor or management, we will respond strictly to illegal and corrupt practices," and urged, "Small and medium financial institutions must strive for company-wide organizational culture innovation and labor rights protection."
The Ministry plans to conduct additional planned supervision targeting institutions among small and medium financial institutions that have not yet undergone labor inspections.
Minister Lee Jeong-sik of the Ministry of Employment and Labor emphasized, "We will conduct continuous and intensive labor inspections until the organizational culture changes," and added, "We will definitely eradicate illegal and corrupt practices such as workplace bullying."
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