직장 내 괴롭힘 신고 시행 2달만에 794건 접수

Hundreds of bullying cases have been filed,... since South Korea adopted a new law banning workplace harassment in July.
Workers, however, say the law has several loopholes that must be addressed.
Yoon Jung-min sheds light on the issue.
Two months after a new law prohibiting workplace harassment came into effect, nearly 800 cases of bullying have been reported since then.
According to the labor ministry at a parliamentary audit on Friday, 794 cases of harassment were seen from July to September.
Nearly 45 percent of them involved verbal abuses, followed by unfair treatment and slandering.
By sector, the majority of the reported cases were from the manufacturing sector, followed by facility management and health and service sectors.

The law was originally designed to prevent and stop bullying among workers by allowing employees to file an official complaint, in case of harassment.
According to the law, company owners have a duty to stop harassment,... when workers inflict physical or psychological pain on other employees,... by abusing their power and authority.
The labor ministry has been providing consultations and have tightened supervision since the implementation of the law.
But many workers and experts say the abusers are not being punished adequately,... as the Labor Standards Act do not stipulate clear penalty clauses.
Also, those who quit their jobs due to bullying... often may not be eligible for unemployment benefits under the current system.
Other problems have been raised as well,... such as employers being unwilling to take action when complaints are filed against them.
Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.