The government is set to scrutinize unreasonable employment practices in the public sector, including 364-day contracts and repeated contracts under one year, aimed at avoiding severance pay.
Starting August 18, the Ministry of Employment and Labor will conduct a two-month intensive inspection of 200 public sector agencies to ensure compliance with labor conditions for irregular workers.
This inspection follows a planned review conducted from March 11 to April 30, which focused on 30 local governments. During that review, the ministry identified 113 violations of labor laws, including the failure to pay severance to contract workers and wage discrimination against temporary workers.
This time, the scope of the inspection will expand to include all public sector entities, such as public institutions, local public enterprises, local government agencies, and organizations that have contracts for public services. The 200 agencies under review include 47 public institutions, 37 local public enterprises, 40 local government-funded organizations, 20 local governments, 3 subsidiaries of public institutions, 2 central government ministries, 1 educational institution, and 50 service contract agencies.
The ministry will target institutions suspected of engaging in unreasonable employment practices based on reports from its online consultation center and media coverage. Agencies with a high proportion of temporary workers employed for 11 months to less than a year, as revealed in a survey conducted in February and March, will also be included.
The inspection will assess the implementation of the 'Guidelines for Improving the Treatment of Irregular Workers in the Public Sector' and the 'Pre-Employment Review System for Irregular Workers' established in May. It will specifically focus on fragmented contracts and 364-day contracts designed to evade severance pay, as well as compliance with labor laws regarding contract signing, wage payments, and working hours.
If violations are confirmed, the ministry will take appropriate action according to relevant regulations and guide institutions to promptly rectify any issues identified.
Additionally, the ministry plans to expand preventive training for personnel responsible for human resources and labor. The number of annual labor law training sessions for personnel in local governments and contract positions will increase from 7 to 13. Institutions that show multiple areas needing improvement based on inspection results will receive tailored training.
Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, "The public sector must lead by example in establishing fair employment practices to demand change in the private sector. Through this inspection, we aim to ensure that the value of labor is respected in the public sector, creating a workplace where everyone can work happily."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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