Unprotected Emotional Laborers... Caddy Industrial Accident Approvals Increase Nearly 43 Times in 5 Years

4,831 Cases of Industrial Accident Approval for Emotional Laborers from January to August This Year
6 Years Since the Enforcement of the Emotional Laborers Protection Act... "Review of Effectiveness Needed"

The number of industrial accident approvals for social workers has been increasing every year, indicating that emotional laborers are still not adequately protected in the workplace. Although the law protecting emotional laborers from abusive customers and others has been in effect for nearly six years, there are calls for additional measures to ensure they can work safely.

According to data received by the office of Kim Tae-seon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, from the Ministry of Employment and Labor on the 13th, the number of industrial accident approvals in emotional labor occupations from January to August this year totaled 4,831 cases. If this trend continues, the number of approvals for emotional labor occupations this year is estimated to reach approximately 7,247 cases. The number of industrial accident approvals for emotional laborers has been increasing annually: 3,710 cases in 2020, 4,975 in 2021, 5,902 in 2022, and 6,633 in 2023.

The occupation with the highest number of approved industrial accidents was social workers engaged in the health and social welfare sector, recording 2,017 cases this year. The number of applications was also the highest among all emotional labor occupations, at 2,296 cases. Social workers have been identified as a vulnerable occupation to industrial accidents since the spread of COVID-19. Because they must provide face-to-face services even in special circumstances, they not only experience emotional distress but also face direct violence from clients. According to a survey conducted by the Jeonbuk Social Workers Association targeting social workers in the Jeonbuk region, as of August 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, 63.1% reported experiencing violence from clients. Among social workers, 19.2% were classified as being at risk of depression.

Emotional labor worker

Golf course caddies are an occupation with a noticeably increasing number of industrial accident approvals. This year, the number of approved industrial accidents for caddies was 596, about 43 times higher than in 2019 (14 cases). Although there were only 20 approvals in 2020, the number surged to 264 in 2021, 681 in 2022, and 804 in 2023. The increase in golf population alongside the spread of COVID-19 is interpreted as golf course caddies not being adequately protected from golf course customers. According to the Korea Golf Association, the number of people participating in golf activities in Korea was 11.76 million in 2021, a 16.4% increase compared to 6.36 million in 2017.

Although the Emotional Laborer Protection Act (Article 41 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act) has been in effect since October 2018, there are still concerns that emotional laborers are not being protected. Companies are required to protect workers from violence by customers and others and to take necessary measures such as temporarily suspending or transferring work when needed, but these measures are not being felt on the ground.

Representative Kim said, "The increase in the number of industrial accident approvals for emotional laborers indicates the need for a thorough analysis and review of the effectiveness of related policies," adding, "We must establish a system where emotional laborers are respected and can work safely."