"If You're Not Quitting, Just Endure It" One Year Since Workplace Bullying Prevention Act Enacted, Power Abuse Persists

On the 1-Year Anniversary of the Enforcement of the 'Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act' on the 16th
45.4% of 1,000 Respondents Experienced Workplace Harassment in the Past Year
62.9% of Respondents... "Just Endured or Pretended Not to Know"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon, Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] # Office worker Lee Mo (27, female) endured personal errands and verbal abuse from her superior at work and eventually resigned last February. Lee revealed that she sought help from the company but received no significant action. She lamented, "It was generally known in the office that I was being bullied by my boss," adding, "When I exposed the harm to the company, I was met with cold stares instead."

The "Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act" (Workplace Gapjil Prohibition Act) marked its first anniversary on the 16th, but its effectiveness remains controversial among workers. Reporting such incidents involves psychological pressure, and even when employees like Lee appeal to the company, proper measures are often not taken, and they may even become embroiled in legal disputes.

As a result, abuse and harassment persist in some workplaces. According to data released on the 5th by the civic group Workplace Gapjil 119, 45.4% of 1,000 workers reported experiencing harassment at work in the past year. This figure is 0.9 percentage points higher than the 44.5% who reported experiencing gapjil in a survey conducted by Workplace Gapjil 119 last October.

Although nearly half of the respondents experienced harassment, only 3% took action against it. Among them, 62.9% said they "endured or pretended not to know," followed by 49.6% who "protested personally," 48.2% who "consulted friends," and 32.9% who "resigned."

On July 16 last year, when the "Workplace Bullying Prohibition Act" was enforced, citizens were passing behind the related information board installed by Workplace Gapjil 119 officials at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Jung Mo (33, female), an office worker, said, "I didn’t answer a call from my boss after work, but I was verbally abused with comments like ‘How long have you been here to act like this?’" She expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "I tried to understand, but isn’t it clear gapjil to expect an immediate reply even when contacted for personal matters rather than work?"

Jung added, "I don’t think telling a superior who doesn’t follow basic rules not to abuse others will work," and said, "I endure each day by drinking alone or venting to friends."

One reason victims cannot report harassment is the lack of proper punishment methods for perpetrators. Since current laws do not specify penalties, it is difficult to speak out about the abuse.

Kim Mo (27, female), a nurse at a university hospital, said, "It’s even harder to speak up because the hierarchy is clear," adding, "I feel unfairness when asked to change shifts arbitrarily or when someone vents personal stress, but the strong hierarchy makes it difficult to bring up these issues."

She raised her voice, saying, "Even if I speak up, it’s obvious the response will be things like ‘Why are young people like this these days?’, ‘Don’t you know this is the usual atmosphere?’, or ‘Working conditions have improved a lot now.’"

Another problem cited was the failure to separate the perpetrator from the victim while verifying the truth of the claims.

Kim lamented, "Even if I report the abuse that causes me great mental stress, it’s a problem. How can we work together in the same space?" She added, "Since I haven’t worked here long, I can’t help but worry about being excluded from work or ostracized within the group."

The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Experts emphasized the need for mandatory disciplinary and personnel measures against perpetrators and compulsory education on workplace harassment.

Labor attorney Kim Hyo-shin pointed out on YTN’s "Wise Radio Life," "Under current law, the company is left to handle perpetrators autonomously. There are no regulations for disciplinary actions or direct penalties."

She continued, "Mandatory education on workplace harassment would help people recognize and want to correct their behavior, but this is not legally required," urging, "We need to quickly establish improvements to the current law."

In politics, efforts are underway to improve the "Workplace Harassment Prohibition Act" for greater effectiveness. Kang Eun-mi, a Justice Party lawmaker, introduced a partial amendment to the Labor Standards Act on the 9th.

The amendment includes provisions for penalties such as imprisonment of up to two years or fines up to 20 million won for violations, and fines up to 5 million won if protective measures for victims are not properly implemented.

Lawmaker Kang emphasized, "As recent tragic incidents involving apartment security guards and unemployed athletes show, harassment frequently occurs outside the workplace as well," adding, "If the Third-Party Harassment Prevention Act passes, the threshold for preventing harassment will be significantly raised."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.