Official Apology for "Inappropriate Response" Posted on Social Media
However, "Whether It Was Death by Overwork... Not for the Company to Decide"
Controversy is growing over the initial response of the company after allegations surfaced that a staff member in their twenties, who worked at the well-known bakery London Bagel Museum, died as a result of overwork. The company had previously denied the family’s claims, but only issued an apology after reports emerged of text messages that appeared to pressure the bereaved family and internal instructions to keep employees silent.
On the 28th, London Bagel Museum posted an official apology on its Instagram account, stating, “At the early stage of the incident, the company did not fully understand the actions of the on-site operations staff,” and added, “We deeply apologize for the irreparable harm caused to the bereaved family by our inappropriate response.” The company further stated, “We will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities’ investigation and there will be no cover-up of any kind.”
Previously, on the 28th, it was reported that employee A, in their twenties, who worked at London Bagel Museum, was found dead in July at the company’s dormitory in Michuhol-gu, Incheon. The family claims that A, who was in good physical health, suffered from long working hours as they prepared for and operated a new store, and that A worked approximately 80 hours during the week prior to their death. The family believes that overwork was not unrelated to A’s death and has recently applied for industrial accident compensation.
However, in its initial statement, London Bagel Museum directly refuted the family’s claims. The company asserted, “The average working hours of our employees are 43.5 hours per week, and the deceased’s average weekly working hours were also around 44.1 hours. Working 80 hours per week is not plausible.” The company also addressed suspicions about meal breaks, stating, “Colleagues offered the deceased a meal the day before their death, but it was declined.”
Nevertheless, the controversy intensified after it was revealed that a company representative had sent messages to the bereaved family saying things like, “If you recklessly apply for industrial accident compensation claiming death from overwork, we will reveal the truth,” and “Act conscientiously and set an example.” The media also reported that staff were instructed to remain silent immediately after the incident. In response, CEO Kang personally issued an apology statement.
Apology statement posted on SNS by the London Bagel Museum on the 28th. London Bagel Museum Instagram
CEO Kang stated, “The nature of opening a new branch means that the workload can temporarily increase during the preparation process,” and added, “We dispatched an additional 13 staff members to the hall section just before the opening, but I expect that the employees on duty had a difficult day.” He continued, “Due to a fingerprint recognition system error, we are unable to verify the deceased’s work records immediately prior to the incident, but the working hours of other employees who worked together were higher than usual.”
However, regarding whether the death was caused by overwork, he said, “This is not for the company to determine,” and added, “We will fully cooperate with the investigation by the relevant authorities and submit all materials as they are so that the facts can be clearly established.”
Meanwhile, on the 29th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it had begun a labor inspection of both the Incheon branch and the headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, of London Bagel Museum. In this inspection, the ministry plans to look not only into the issue of long working hours, but also to investigate whether there has been additional harm to any other employees.
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