Seoul City Develops 'Standard Contract for Fitness Trainers'

Public and Private Distribution Targets for August

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 15th that it will develop the 'Seoul-type Standard Contract for Exercise Trainers,' which clearly outlines working conditions such as contract types, scope of work, and break times to establish fair contract standards for exercise trainers and protect their labor rights. The development will begin in March, with the goal of distributing it to both public and private sectors by August.

Many 'exercise trainers' are self-employed individuals who often sign freelance contracts with fitness centers, receiving a fixed base salary plus performance bonuses based on the number of members they manage. However, some exercise trainers are controlled by the centers regarding working hours and task assignments and also perform general duties such as cleaning and member service. In other words, although contracted as freelancers, they work like regular employees belonging to the fitness center.

The standard contract to be developed will clearly include basic requirements such as job content and scope, working days and hours, wage conditions, as well as labor conditions tailored to the nature of the work, such as salary processing regulations in case of member refunds.

The city explained that exercise trainers are in a unique contractual relationship where they can be either workers or freelancers (self-employed) depending on the nature and method of their work, but the criteria are ambiguous, making unfair contracts likely. Therefore, it is necessary to establish fair contract standards through the distribution of a standard labor contract.

Additionally, the standard contract can be used as a concrete criterion for judgment in case of disputes between exercise trainers and employers in the future, and it is expected to help protect the rights of vulnerable groups such as freelancers and one-person self-employed workers who are in the blind spots of labor law, the city said.

The developed standard contract will be applicable to all exercise trainers, including those in health, yoga, and Pilates, and will be distributed mainly through gyms and trainer associations within the Seoul area.

Furthermore, to ensure that more exercise trainers can protect their labor rights through the standard contract, the city plans to closely cooperate with related organizations and groups, sign business agreements with large fitness franchises, and work to spread the standard contract and foster a fair contract culture.

Moreover, labor rights consultation and consulting services such as contract drafting will be provided at comprehensive labor support institutions, including labor rights centers and comprehensive worker support centers operated by the city and autonomous districts, the city added.

Meanwhile, Seoul will open a public recruitment for the institution to carry out the development of the standard contract starting tomorrow. Research and survey institutions are the target applicants, with a total budget of 50 million KRW. The announcement period is 12 days from the date of the announcement, and detailed information can be found on the Korea ON-line E-Procurement System (KONEPS).

Park Jaeyong, Director of Labor, Fairness, and Coexistence Policy at Seoul City, said, “Although exercise trainers are workers closely connected to our daily lives, many are exposed to unfair contracts in the blind spots of labor law. We will strive to establish fair contract standards through the Seoul-type standard contract and to foster a proper labor culture.”