Civic Group: "More Than 7 Out of 10 Freelancers Qualify as Employees Under Labor Standards Act"

A civic group has revealed that more than 7 out of 10 freelance office workers qualify as employees under the Labor Standards Act.

According to Workplace Gapjil 119, an analysis of a survey conducted with 811 respondents using its self-developed "Freelancer Identifier Online Checklist" from July 6 to September 10 showed these results. The checklist included questions about whether the user’s work tasks are predetermined by the employer and whether there are instructions for work outside the contract, among other items assessing "employee status." A score of 8 or higher out of a possible 15 points indicates that the respondent can be definitively considered an employee under the Labor Standards Act.

Workplace Gapjil 119 explained, "73.7% of respondents received results indicating that they are 'definitely employees under the Labor Standards Act,'" adding, "The average score among all participants was 9.9 out of 15." The group emphasized, "This clearly shows how many 'fake freelancers'-those who are formally contracted as freelancers but work just like employees-exist in our society."

The organization argued that the "Employee Presumption System" promised by the Lee Jaemyung administration needs to be implemented swiftly. This system would presume that freelancers and similar workers are employees in cases of dispute, requiring the employer to provide evidence to the contrary.