"Report? I'd Rather Quit"... Only 10% Report Workplace Harassment Cases

Workplace Abuse 119, Survey of 1,000 Office Workers

According to a survey, only 1 out of 10 people report workplace harassment even if they experience it. This means that 90% of those who suffer harassment give up on reporting it.

The civic group 'Jikjang Gapjil 119' announced on the 23rd that only 10.3% of respondents reported workplace harassment after experiencing it, based on a survey of over 1,000 office workers about the current state of workplace harassment. Since multiple responses were allowed, the actual rate of reporting may be even lower.

Regarding how people responded to workplace harassment (multiple answers allowed), the most common response was "endured it or pretended not to know" (60.6%), followed by "quit the company" (23.1%). Although some answered that they "protested individually or with colleagues" (27.2%), the proportion who officially reported to the company or labor union (8.1%) or to related institutions such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor or the National Human Rights Commission (2.2%) was low. Overall, only a minority raised the issue. Many more endured or resigned instead of reporting harassment.

The reasons for giving up on reporting included "did not think the situation would improve even if I responded" (53.9%) and "concerns about personnel disadvantages" (32.9%).

Even among those who reported, more than half did not receive appropriate measures. Over half of respondents (62.8%) said they did not receive proper actions such as workplace relocation or paid leave during the investigation. In fact, half (51.2%) experienced unfavorable treatment such as dismissal because they reported the harassment.

Yoon Ji-young, a lawyer and representative of Jikjang Gapjil 119, said, "Most victims do not dare to report workplace harassment, and if they do, they face retaliation rather than protection," adding, "It is necessary to strengthen the 'Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act' and eliminate blind spots." She also expressed concern about proposals from the business community to strengthen the criteria for determining harassment or to improve systems to prevent false reports, as these could discourage reporting itself.