"Hired as Experienced Staff but Paid 70% as Probation... Numerous Recruitment Frauds"

2 out of 10 People "Experienced Hiring Fraud and Exaggerated Advertising"
Hiring Procedure Act Exempts Businesses with Fewer Than 30 Employees

"I joined the company knowing that since it was a full-time and experienced position, there would be no probation period. But today, when I saw the employment contract, it stated that 70% of the wage would be paid during the probation period." (Employee A)

"During the interview, they said I would be hired as an assistant manager, but after joining, I was assigned as a staff member. I was hired for an office job, but they are making me do fieldwork as well." (Employee B)

A survey revealed that more than 2 out of 10 employees have experienced hiring fraud or exaggerated advertisements.

According to the results of a survey conducted by Embrain Public, a public opinion research firm, commissioned by Workplace Bullying 119 and the Office Finance Ubuntu Foundation from 1,000 employees between March 3 and 10 last month, 22.4% responded that the job posting or employment offer conditions differed from the actual working conditions after joining.

This response was higher among vulnerable labor groups such as non-regular workers (25.3%), non-union members (23.3%), production workers (28.6%), and workplaces with fewer than 5 employees (29.8%).

On the 2nd, job seekers participating in the 'Korea Job Fair' held at aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are looking at the recruitment bulletin board. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

17.5% reported experiencing inappropriate situations such as unpleasant or discriminatory questions during job interviews. In particular, women reported this at a higher rate of 22.8% compared to men at 13.5%.

Employee C reported to Workplace Bullying 119, "I thought a decent workplace would respect privacy. But during the interview, when I said I wasn’t married, they asked if I read , told me to get married like them, and made comments about a woman’s fate being like a 'wheelless barrel.' Is it reasonable to tell someone coming to join the company to get married quickly?"

Reports of hiring corruption are also ongoing. Workplace Bullying 119 explained, "A daycare center director dismissed a teacher through a forced resignation to hire her daughter, and a Saemaeul Geumgo (Community Credit Cooperative) chairman hired his children and grandchildren as contract workers at the cooperative. Another Saemaeul Geumgo chairman even engaged in a 'hiring corruption exchange' by placing his child in another Saemaeul Geumgo to avoid hiring corruption."

There were also many cases where even the most basic step of drafting and issuing an employment contract was not done. 27.3% responded that they did not write or receive an employment contract. Especially in workplaces with fewer than 5 employees, more than half (50.3%) violated the obligation to draft and issue employment contracts.

Workplace Bullying 119 pointed out, "Once the employment contract is signed, it becomes difficult to raise issues. For employees and job seekers who need to make a living immediately, reporting is like a pipe dream." They added, "Since the Employment Procedure Act applies only to workplaces with 30 or more employees, small companies cannot even be reported for 'hiring bullying.' Applying the Employment Procedure Act to workplaces with fewer than 30 employees and strictly punishing false or exaggerated advertisements can reduce 'hiring bullying.'"

Labor attorney Kim Ki-hong said, "The root cause of unfair hiring is not employment inheritance but the clear power imbalance evident from the contract process. The government must actively step up to eradicate hiring bullying issues."