Distribution of On-Site Guidance and Manuals Prohibiting Gender Discrimination... Promotion of Strengthened Administrative Orders and Fines

Ministry of Gender Equality Distributes Training and Manuals on Gender-Balanced Personnel Management
Ministry of Employment Operates Anonymous Gender Discrimination Reporting Center and Conducts Strict Investigations
Legal Reforms Proposed to Improve Gender-Discriminatory Working Conditions and Enforce Corrective Orders

Job seekers are standing in a long line for on-site interviews at a job fair held in 2019. Unrelated to the article content. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Following the Dong-A Pharmaceutical gender discrimination interview incident, the government has decided to promote on-site guidance and inspection for gender-equal hiring and improve related systems.

On the 16th, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that they will strengthen necessary support and measures to eliminate gender discrimination factors in the hiring process and establish gender-equal recruitment in companies.

They will conduct gender balance personnel management capacity-building training for HR managers of companies and institutions and distribute a gender-equal hiring guidebook containing compliance requirements for each stage of recruitment, such as document screening, interviews, and selection. They will also promote on-site guidance and system improvements to prevent gender discrimination in employment.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to monitor job advertisements for gender discrimination, operate an anonymous reporting center for employment-related gender discrimination, and strictly investigate reported cases. They will operate focused reporting, guidance, and inspection periods for violations of the "Act on the Fairness of Hiring Procedures" during the first and second halves of the year. They also plan to guide companies to avoid requesting personal information unrelated to job duties, such as marital status.

To strengthen remedies against employment-related gender discrimination, they are also promoting the establishment of a discrimination correction procedure at the Labor Relations Commission, including cessation of disadvantageous acts, improvement of wages and working conditions, and appropriate compensation.

According to the Act on Gender Equality in Employment, if employment-related gender discrimination is confirmed, disadvantageous acts against workers must cease, and the Labor Relations Commission can issue corrective orders such as improving wages and working conditions or providing appropriate compensation. Failure to comply with confirmed corrective orders may result in fines of up to 100 million KRW. The amendment to the Act on Gender Equality in Employment containing these provisions was submitted to the National Assembly in October last year and is currently pending.

In the future, to ensure the Act on Hiring Procedures is firmly established in the field, the government plans to actively promote system improvements for necessary matters through expert meetings and collecting field opinions.

Examples of Gender Discriminatory Questions (Source: Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Gender-Equal Recruitment Manual)

Examples of Gender Discriminatory Questions (Source: Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Gender-Equal Recruitment Manual)

The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family plans to conduct 'Gender Balance Personnel Management Capacity-Building Training' three times this year for HR managers of companies and institutions. As part of the Women Talent Academy project, both men and women can apply. The first training will recruit participants from March 19 and be held on April 20, with the second and third sessions scheduled for the second half of the year.

By the end of this month, the gender-equal hiring guidebook will be distributed together with the Ministry of Employment and Labor to economic organizations and individual workplaces. The guidebook includes domestic laws and systems related to hiring and a checklist that applicants can use to self-assess whether gender discrimination occurred during the hiring process.

Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, said, "Considering the social interest and demand for fairness and transparency, we will actively strive for on-site guidance and system improvements to prevent unreasonable discrimination in worker recruitment and hiring processes."

Jeong Young-ae, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, said, "Securing gender diversity enhances a company's flexibility and adaptability, contributing not only to competitiveness but also to sustainability. We will do our best to spread a gender-equal organizational culture where everyone is treated fairly regardless of gender throughout employment, including hiring."

Contents of the Act on Equal Employment of Men and Women and its Enforcement Decree (Source: Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Gender-Equal Recruitment Manual)

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