"If Hiring Results Are Not Announced Immediately, a Fine Will Be Imposed"

Details on the Fair Hiring Process Act Promoted by the Ministry of Employment
Fines Up to 30 Million KRW for Violations
Penalties Added to Existing Law
Feedback on Rejection Reasons Recommended for Unsuccessful Applicants

The ‘Fair Recruitment Act’ promoted by the People Power Party includes provisions that impose fines if employers do not immediately inform job seekers of their hiring decisions.

According to the People Power Party on the 13th, the party’s Special Committee on Labor Reform is pushing for the Fair Recruitment Act (a comprehensive amendment to the Act on the Fairness of Recruitment Procedures) to eradicate unfair hiring practices. The bill introduces a penalty clause for ‘violation of the obligation to notify hiring results’ by employers. It states that ‘when the employer finalizes the selection of candidates, they must promptly inform the job seekers of the hiring decision.’

Such a provision existed in the previous Recruitment Procedures Act, but without any penalty clause, it was effectively meaningless.

The special committee’s amendment aims to enable job seekers to quickly learn their acceptance status and strengthen transparency in recruitment procedures by introducing a penalty clause with fines up to 3 million KRW for violations.

A young job seeker looking at the recruitment announcement board. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Additionally, the bill includes a recommendation clause that employers should make efforts to inform unsuccessful candidates of the reasons for their rejection.

The special committee reported these details at a party members’ meeting on the 11th and plans to push the bill as the party’s official stance next week after detailed revisions. The bill’s name will also be changed from the existing ‘Act on the Fairness of Recruitment Procedures’ to the ‘Fair Recruitment Act.’

The Fair Recruitment Act primarily aims to strengthen measures so that criminal penalties can be imposed on companies in cases of unfair hiring practices such as employment inheritance or forced hiring.

In particular, to eradicate so-called ‘power harassment’ in recruitment by companies, the bill also prohibits asking for excessive personal information from job seekers without legitimate reasons, such as inquiring about parents’ occupations in recruitment documents and interviews.