One in 10 Workplace Bullying Victims Contemplate Extreme Measures...

Jikjang Gapjil 119, Survey of 1,000 Office Workers

A survey revealed that 1 in 10 workers who experienced workplace bullying have considered extreme measures.

On the 26th, the civic group Workplace Bullying 119 announced the results of an online survey conducted by the public opinion research firm Embrain Public from September 4 to 11. The survey targeted 1,000 workers nationwide aged 19 and older. Among the respondents, 359 reported experiencing bullying, and of these, 39 (10.9%) said they had contemplated extreme measures.

Lee Jung-sik, Minister of Employment and Labor, is delivering a greeting at a meeting held on September 7 at the Seoul Regional Labor Office in Jung-gu, Seoul, aimed at eradicating workplace harassment. The meeting was attended by organizations including regional financial institutions such as NongHyup and Suhyup, as well as the Korea Hospital Association, the Korea Kindergarten Association, and the Korea HR Service Industry Association. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

The perpetrators of workplace bullying were most commonly 'non-executive supervisors,' accounting for 37.0%. Next were 'colleagues of similar rank' at 22.3%, and 'employers such as representatives, executives, or management who have the duty to protect workers' lives, bodies, and health' were responsible in 19.2% of cases.

According to Workplace Bullying 119, from January to the 20th of this month, among 1,592 consultation emails received, 53 included content related to suicide. Of these, 48 emails were from informants who had thought about or attempted extreme measures themselves, 4 involved cases where the informant was aware of or witnessed a colleague’s suicide, and 1 was from a bereaved family member of a worker who died by suicide.

Although the amended Labor Standards Act prohibiting workplace bullying has been in effect for over four years, company responses remain inadequate. The survey revealed that two out of three companies that received reports of workplace bullying did not properly verify the facts. Among 56 workers who reported bullying to their companies, only 32.1% said the company properly fulfilled its obligation to investigate or take action. Additionally, 26.8% reported receiving unfavorable treatment as a result of making a report.

Regarding this, labor attorney Choi Seung-hyun of Workplace Bullying 119 pointed out, "The current workplace bullying prohibition law has various limitations, such as not applying to workplaces with fewer than five employees or failing to properly investigate or take action when the employer is the perpetrator." He added, "The Ministry of Employment and Labor is signaling that it may strengthen the requirements for repetition and persistence to ensure employers fulfill their investigation and action duties. However, raising the standards for recognizing bullying should not extinguish hope."

※ If you have difficult feelings such as depression or know family or acquaintances going through such hardships, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1393, Mental Health Counseling ☎1577-0199, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, Youth Hotline ☎1388, the youth mobile counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae,' KakaoTalk, and other services.