Seoul City Develops 'Standard Employment Contract' to Protect Caregivers' Labor Rights... Specifies Job Scope and Wage Conditions

Development starts in September with private distribution by December, protecting caregivers' labor rights and securing social safety nets
Employment type, working hours, wage conditions included... Two more industries to be developed next year

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] # A caregiver in her 60s, Ms. A, has been taking care of a patient with limited mobility for six months after receiving the caregiving job through a private agency. However, beyond the designated caregiving and care duties, she was subjected to excessive demands such as personal errands and household chores, often working well beyond the scheduled hours. Although these were clearly unfair work instructions and overtime, she did not properly sign a contract when starting the job and was unable to respond because she feared losing her job if she refused the demands.

On the 22nd, Seoul City announced that it will develop a standard employment contract for caregivers that clearly outlines working conditions such as employment type, working hours, and wage terms to protect caregivers' labor rights and secure a social safety net. The development will begin in September and the contract will be distributed to both public and private sectors by December.

Among special types of workers and freelancers, including caregivers, one in two proceed with work based on verbal agreements without signing employment contracts due to customary practices. The absence of a written contract increases the risk of unfair labor practices that infringe on workers' rights. In fact, many caregivers either do not write contracts or fail to clearly specify the scope of work in the contract, leading to excessive demands beyond caregiving services.

Unlike care workers, caregivers lack a dedicated government department, so there is no accurate data on their scale or employment types. Many find jobs through job placement centers or personal introductions, creating a structure prone to unfair contracts.

The newly developed standard employment contract for caregivers will clearly include basic requirements such as job description, working days and hours, and wage conditions, as well as labor conditions tailored to various employment types and the specific nature of caregiving work. Seoul City plans to use this to improve caregivers' treatment and foster a fair labor environment.

The developed standard employment contract will apply to any caregiver who has a contractual relationship with a business or provides services for a certain wage, and will be distributed mainly to private hospitals and caregiver platform companies where caregivers work. Additionally, Seoul City will closely cooperate with related organizations and groups to commercialize the standard contract for more caregivers and will continuously promote public awareness improvement.

Starting with the development of the standard employment contract for caregivers, Seoul City plans to identify two more occupations next year that require application and focus on eliminating blind spots in labor rights. Since 2007, the government has developed and distributed standard employment contracts for 16 occupations including insurance planners, construction machinery operators, broadcast writers, webtoon artists, and substitute drivers, and plans to develop additional standard contracts for other occupations.

Meanwhile, Seoul City announced that it will conduct a labor conditions survey from September to November to understand caregivers' employment types, contract methods, income levels, working and rest hours, work environment, and social insurance coverage, which have not been previously measured in scale or reality. To this end, Seoul City will open recruitment for institutions to carry out the development of the standard employment contract starting from the 23rd. Research and survey institutions are eligible to apply, with a total budget of 50 million KRW.

Han Young-hee, Seoul City's Director of Labor, Fairness, and Coexistence Policy, said, “Although caregivers are essential workers in society, they have often been treated unfairly in blind spots where their rights are not protected. Seoul City will help guarantee fair labor conditions for caregivers and create a cooperative labor environment through the development and dissemination of the standard employment contract.”

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