Human Rights Commission Recommends Disciplinary Action Against Security Supervisor for Workplace Harassment Involving Group Gatherings and Verbal Abuse

Workplace Bullying: Hospital Security Chief Recommended for Disciplinary Action
Human Rights Training and Victim Protection Suggestions Delivered

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The National Human Rights Commission has recommended disciplinary action against hospital security chiefs who committed workplace harassment.

On the 12th, the Human Rights Commission confirmed that three security chiefs at Hospital A engaged in group gatherings, habitual verbal abuse, invasion of privacy, and surveillance of workers through closed-circuit television (CCTV), and recommended that the hospital director discipline them.

A complainant working at Hospital A filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission, claiming that victims suffered human rights violations from the security chiefs and that the public institution hospital was turning a blind eye to it.

The respondents partially admitted to verbal abuse but argued that, due to the nature of security duties, they only expressed anger and were working harmoniously. The hospital also claimed that improper behavior among security staff existed during the period of private consignment but that such human rights violations were mostly eradicated after the respondents were converted to regular employees.

However, the Human Rights Commission's investigation confirmed that the security chiefs gathered about ten employees in the hospital lobby, verbally abused and cursed them, and instructed them to harass experienced new employees to force them to resign. The investigation also uncovered cases of habitual swearing outside working hours and instructing an employee who was hospitalized due to an injury sustained during work to use the emergency exit when smoking.

Accordingly, the Human Rights Commission judged that the special nature of security duties, where the work methods and discipline of security chiefs are important, needs improvement or abolition, and regarded these acts as human rights violations.

Furthermore, citing the hospital’s inadequate investigation and handling of harassment reports, the Commission conveyed the opinion to the hospital director that regular human rights education should be conducted for related staff, and that thorough investigations should be carried out to ensure active protection of victims and personnel measures against perpetrators in case of similar incidents in the future.

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