"Excluding Public Service Workers Performing the Same or Similar Duties from Promotion Constitutes Discrimination"

by Byun Seonjin

Published 27 Aug.2025 12:00(KST)

A decision has been made that excluding public service workers performing the same or similar work from promotion systems constitutes discrimination.

Yonhap News

On August 27, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea announced that it had determined it to be discriminatory for Foundation A, an organization affiliated with public service, to exclude public service workers from the promotion system solely due to their different employment status, and to also deny them position allowances.

Previously, the Commission had received a petition from individuals who were converted from contract workers to public service workers at Foundation A. The petitioners claimed that, although they had been assigned the same work as regular employees, they were discriminated against not only in promotions but also in the payment of position allowances.

In response, Foundation A explained, "Currently, public service workers are subject to the same minimum annual salary as regular employees, but they do not receive position allowances because there is no position hierarchy. Even if they undergo personnel evaluations, they are excluded from promotion opportunities."

Regarding this, the Commission stated, "The promotion system is a mechanism that reflects employees' abilities and performance to motivate them within the organization. Excluding public service workers from promotion opportunities solely on the basis of their employment status constitutes unfavorable treatment without reasonable grounds," adding, "Since the victims were hired through procedures similar to those for regular employees, have worked for extended periods, and are required to take on the same level of responsibility and difficulty, the discriminatory element is significant."