The government is enhancing its oversight of hospitals to reduce workplace harassment. This includes strengthening labor inspections at problematic facilities, expanding organizational culture assessments and consulting tailored for the hospital sector, and supporting the reduction of actual working hours for healthcare workers, including nurses at university hospitals.
On August 13, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced a partnership with the Korean Hospital Association, the Korean Nurses Association, the Labor-Management Development Foundation, and the Korea Employment and Labor Education Institute at Inha University Hospital, aimed at creating a "Safe Hospital for Workers."
The government's initiative to improve working conditions in hospitals comes in response to the significant prevalence of workplace harassment in the health and welfare sector. According to a 2024 survey, the experience rate of workplace harassment in this field was 25%, the highest among all industries. Last year, the health and welfare sector accounted for 16% of workplace harassment reports submitted to the Ministry of Labor.
Initially, the government will expand the "Workplace Innovation Cooperative Consulting" specifically for hospitals. Hospitals recommended by the Korean Hospital Association will be able to receive assessments and consulting without a separate review through a fast-track process. Additionally, businesses will be exempt from self-funding in the area of organizational culture improvement.
During a meeting, representatives from Inha University Hospital and Samyook Busan Hospital shared their consulting experiences. Inha University Hospital recently sought consulting due to issues with new nurse turnover. Samyook Busan Hospital explained that after receiving similar consulting years ago, they restructured their nursing work system and improved their organizational culture, resulting in a significant reduction in turnover rates.
A special assessment will also be conducted to identify factors that could lead to workplace harassment, such as hierarchical organizational culture, particularly among junior nurses. The government plans to expand harassment prevention training tailored to the hospital sector and develop a standard manual for improving organizational culture that can be utilized in medical settings.
Support to reduce long working hours for healthcare workers will also be expanded. The government is currently supporting the reduction of actual working hours through the "Work-Life Balance +4.5 Project" targeting the life and safety sectors within healthcare. Plans are underway to extend this support to healthcare workers, including nurses at university hospitals, who are currently excluded from the existing support framework.
The response system for hospitals where workplace harassment has occurred will be strengthened. The Ministry of Welfare and the Korean Nurses Association will establish a plan to link information about problematic workplaces identified on-site with the Ministry of Labor's labor inspections. The counseling and support system through the Nurses SOS support center will also be enhanced.
The Ministry of Labor is currently conducting nationwide planned inspections of hospitals where workplace harassment reports have been filed. Since July 15, inspections have been underway at 14 small hospitals that received multiple harassment reports over the past three years to check for violations of labor laws, including workplace harassment.
The government is also working to assess the actual conditions in hospitals. Since June, the Ministry of Labor has been conducting a survey on workplace harassment specifically in the healthcare sector. This survey aims to identify the occurrence of harassment in small and medium-sized hospitals and clinics, as well as support systems and remedies, to inform future policy improvements.
Minister of Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, "It is unacceptable for the precious hands that save patients to suffer harassment at work without protection. We will create hospitals where healthcare workers can work safely through workplace innovation consulting and support for reducing actual working hours."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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