"Who Do You Think You Are Telling Me What to Do?" Part-Time Workers Cornered by 'Troublesome Customers' [Just a Moment!]

"Man slapped for asking 'Please wear a mask,' punishment demanded in Blue House petition
90% of part-timers say they have been hurt by difficult customers
Experts say 'Victimized as scapegoats during COVID-19... Need to raise awareness of the harm'"

Closed-circuit (CC)TV footage showing a part-time worker being slapped after asking a customer to wear a mask at a convenience store

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] Recently, outrage has erupted after a part-time worker (alba-saeng) was slapped for asking a customer to wear a mask at a convenience store. As assaults and mockery crimes against part-time workers continue to occur, concerns are being raised that a safe working environment is not being guaranteed.

The incident came to light on the 21st when a netizen posted on Twitter, "I am really angry and cannot stand it. An acquaintance who works part-time was slapped after asking a customer who came without a mask to wear one," along with CCTV footage from inside the convenience store.

In the video, the part-time worker appears to point at the customer's face with a finger, seemingly requesting mask-wearing. Suddenly, the customer swings their arm widely and slaps the employee across the counter. The employee, struck on the cheek, collapses sideways in shock and sits down.

The video quickly spread online, and on the 22nd, a post titled "We demand severe punishment for the perpetrator who slapped a convenience store part-time worker for asking to wear a mask" was uploaded to the Blue House's national petition board.

Since the spread of COVID-19, so-called 'troublesome customer' behavior toward part-time workers has worsened. Last month, a troublesome customer was criticized after mocking a convenience store part-timer by pulling their mask up to their eyes in response to being told to wear it properly. There have also been frequent cases where part-time workers receive abusive language for saying things like "If you don't scan the QR code or cannot verify your ID, you must leave your seat."

In June, an incident occurred at a coffee shop in a highway rest area in Chungnam where a teenage part-time worker was subjected to indiscriminate assault by a customer. The victim, Mr. A, said, "I was writing the closing report with one hand and handing over the card and receipt with the other, but the customer kept refusing to take them. When I said, 'Sir, please take your card,' the assault began."

Despite the mask falling off and blood flowing, the assault continued, and Mr. A sustained injuries requiring two weeks of treatment. He said, "I am worried that there might be others like that," and that he has become afraid of interacting with people.

A part-time worker is organizing items inside a convenience store. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a survey conducted last year by the part-time job portal Albamon with 952 part-time workers, 90.2% of respondents reported having been hurt by customers' bad manners during their part-time work. Ms. A, a woman in her 20s who worked part-time at a convenience store, also urged for solutions to the troublesome customer problem, saying, "While working, I often encounter people who are drunk and verbally abusive."

Experts suggest that an environment should be established where part-time workers can report such victimization and that proper remedies should be provided to prevent them from becoming targets of venting.

Professor Lee Byunghoon of Chung-Ang University's Department of Sociology explained, "As the COVID-19 pandemic prolongs, people with distorted minds tend to take out their frustrations on relatively vulnerable part-time workers."

He added, "Ultimately, proper punishment must be enforced," and pointed out, "Currently, related issues continue to occur to the extent that the Emotional Labor Protection Act seems ineffective." The 'Emotional Labor Protection Act' is an amendment to the Industrial Safety and Health Act enacted in October 2018, which stipulates that employers must take specific measures if workers suffer or are at risk of health damage due to verbal abuse from customers related to their work.

He emphasized, "There are many cases beyond the tip of the iceberg reported in the media," and "We must help ensure that systems such as reporting to the Labor Office are fully utilized to make victimization known."

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