Meal Allowance Discrimination and Exclusion of Congratulatory Money... 37 Mart and Food Manufacturing Companies Caught

Ministry of Employment Supervises Supermarkets and Food Manufacturers
Correction Orders Worth Over 200 Million Won Issued at 37 Workplaces

The Ministry of Employment and Labor, conducting year-round planned supervision to eradicate discrimination based on employment type or gender in order to overcome polarization in the labor market, announced the results of inspections on marts and food manufacturing companies on the 21st. This is the third round following the supervision of savings banks (first round) and workplaces with confirmed discrimination correction orders (second round).

Provided by the Ministry of Employment and Labor

This inspection targeted a total of 98 locations, including 15 marts and distribution companies and 83 food manufacturing companies, where many fixed-term, part-time, and female workers are employed. As a result, 37 workplaces were found to have unreasonably discriminated in providing meal allowances, holiday bonuses, etc., based on employment type or gender, and correction orders amounting to over 200 million KRW were issued for immediate improvement.

Specifically, 33 companies were found to have violated the Fixed-term Employment Act and the Dispatch Act by discriminating in meal allowances without reasonable grounds according to employment type (totaling 71 million KRW). Thirteen workplaces with internal regulations excluding non-regular workers from receiving congratulatory or condolence money were instructed to revise related rules to prevent discrimination.

Additionally, violations of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act were identified in five companies (totaling 140 million KRW) that discriminated based on gender without reasonable grounds. These included cases where employees performing the same duties were paid differently at the same seniority level due to gender or where job postings set different wages based on gender, all of which were ordered to be corrected immediately.

Minister of Employment Kim Moon-soo stated, "To overcome polarization in the labor market, everyone must be fairly compensated for their work without discrimination based on employment type or gender," adding, "Through year-round relay planned supervision, we will strictly respond to violations and improve on-site awareness and practices through discrimination improvement consulting."