Social Welfare Workers Forced into Self-Sacrifice... Workplace Harassment on the Rise

Rate of Workplace Harassment at Social Welfare Facilities
1.7 Times Higher Than Other Workplaces

A recent survey has found that workers employed at social welfare facilities for children, people with disabilities, and the elderly experience workplace harassment at a rate 1.7 times higher than other workers. There are also growing concerns that, despite deserving respect for their rights as workers, many facility heads exploit the ideals of 'volunteerism' and 'self-sacrifice' as a pretext for abusing their authority.

On July 13, labor and civic group Workplace Gapjil 119 published a report on "Undemocratic Practices in Social Welfare Facilities," identifying three major chronic issues: family-run management, forced donations or religious activities, and workplace harassment. The report is based on a survey of 414 social welfare workers and the analysis of 124 reported cases.

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According to the survey, 59.1% of social welfare facility workers reported experiencing workplace harassment, which is 1.7 times higher than the average for all workers (34.5%). The perceived severity of harassment was also about twice as high at 66.3%, compared to 33.7% for the average worker. Among the cases reported to Workplace Gapjil 119, the most common form of harassment was unfair orders (42.7%), followed by insults, defamation, verbal abuse, and physical assault.

The survey of social welfare facility workers also found that nearly one in three (29.2%) said that family members of the facility head exercised undue authority. About four in ten (43.5%) reported being pressured to make donations to the facility. Furthermore, nearly six out of ten (59.1%) said they had experienced workplace harassment, which is 1.7 times higher than the average for all workers (34.5%).

One reported case involved a welfare center worker who suffered from ostracism and disrespect from colleagues, led by two team leaders who would say things like "Are you on psychiatric medication?" These two team leaders were related by family, and the corporation itself was owned by the husband of one of the team leaders.

Workplace Gapjil 119 has called for a ban on the hereditary succession of welfare facility management, for the government to prohibit outsourcing to facilities that force donations, and for labor inspections to be conducted at facilities with repeated incidents of workplace harassment.