The Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Employment and Labor Education Institute announced on July 6 that they will revise and expand related training programs starting this month to improve unreasonable employment practices and enhance HR management capabilities in the public sector.
The institute has been conducting labor law training for HR personnel of public sector workers, including those in central ministries and local governments. Last year, 240 individuals participated in 12 training sessions, but participation from local governments was low.
The expansion of training comes after a recent inspection revealed the need to strengthen HR management capabilities in local governments. In a 'Compliance Inspection of Labor Conditions for Non-Regular Workers in Local Governments' conducted by the ministry, 113 violations of labor laws were identified across 28 out of 30 basic local governments.
Common violations included errors in wage and severance pay calculations and discriminatory allowances. The ministry identified a lack of understanding of the latest labor laws and changes in case law as a major cause of these violations.
In response, the ministry has restructured the training program to focus on the violations identified during inspections.
The revised training program will cover topics such as management of employment contracts, changes in employment relationships, termination management, work hours, breaks, holidays, and vacation management, as well as wage and severance pay management. It will also include case studies and practical training based on different employment types, including fixed-term and indefinite-term contracts.
The training will be conducted in both in-person and virtual formats, divided into basic and advanced courses, with a total of 11 sessions running until the end of November. This year's training program has been expanded from the initial plan of 17 sessions for 510 participants to 23 sessions for 690 participants.
Lee Hyun-ok, head of the Labor Policy Office at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, expressed regret and a sense of responsibility, stating, "It is disappointing that the public sector, which should set an example, has not fulfilled its responsibilities. We will work to improve awareness and expand training so that the public sector can lead in complying with the law and fostering a culture that respects labor."
Lee Jong-seon, head of the Korea Employment and Labor Education Institute, emphasized the importance of systematic labor education for HR personnel to protect the labor rights of non-regular workers in the public sector, stating, "We will continue to expand labor education to enhance the capacity of local governments to comply with labor laws and foster a healthy labor culture."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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