The Korean government delayed the implementation of the 52-hour workplace system for certain small and medium size companies. This System is intended to apply to all companies in Korea and mandates that no employee may work for an employer for more than 52-hours in any one week. The Ministry of Employment and Labor of Korea announced, on December 11, 2019, that the 52-hour workplace system is suspended for SMEs (Employers with less than 300 workers) until the end of 2020.
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Minimum Wage Raised in Korea for 2020: Employment Law Updates
South Korea has chosen to raise the minimum wage by 2.9% for 2020 to KRW 8,590 (c. USD 7.11). The Minimum Wage Commission of Korea set the wage at a lower than expected increase because of deteriorating economic conditions in Korea. President Moon’s plan to raise the minimum wage to KRW 10,000 per hour shall fall short, because of, among other things, a slower than expected growth rate and regional geopolitical issues facing Korea. We shall keep the reader updated
Continue readingKorea Amends the Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers in 2019: Employment Law Updates
Amendment to the Act of the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers in Korea (hereinafter as “Amendment to the Act of the Employment of Foreign Workers” of Korea) was proposed by the Korean Environment and Labor Committee in December 2018. The focus of the Amendment of the Employment of Foreign Workers is on the improvement of the living conditions of foreign workers at dormitories provided by their companies. Major Changes Due to the Amendment and the Struggles on the Way Addition
Continue readingTerminate/Layoff an Employee in Korea: Terminating an Employee in Korea
The Korean Labor Standards Act mandates that employees under “contract” or “regular employees” may only be terminated for “justifiable reason attributable” to the employee or “urgent managerial necessity” after the completion of the employee’s probationary period. Both Korean employment law standards are, often, difficult for an employer to meet without the professional structuring of HR policies and procedures and a nuanced approach to termination of employees in Korea. We strongly recommend, prior to even considering firing or laying off Korean
Continue readingEnglish-Speaking Korean Labor & Employment Lawyers in Korea
This Korean Law Blog is brought to you by English-speaking Korean labor lawyers & employment lawyers working for IPG Legal – an international law firm with offices in Korea. Sean is the author of this blog and English-speaking Korean lawyers contribute to the blog. Please find below a few of the most recent matters we have worked on. Leading rating services have rated IPG attorneys as leading lawyers working in Korea and throughout Asia. To learn more, please drop us
Continue readingNational Database of Training Programs for Overseas Medical Service Workers in Korea
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea recently passed the bill Amending the Act on Support for Overseas Expansion of Healthcare System and Attraction of International Patients (hereinafter as “Amendment to the Act on Overseas Expansion of Healthcare”), which major goal is to establish and operate a national database of medical training programs for foreign medical service workers. The Amendment shall be in force at the end of 2019. History of the Korean Act on Overseas Expansion of Healthcare
Continue readingAmendment to Korea’s Occupational Safety and Health Act in 2019
The amended Occupational Safety and Health Act of Korea (hereinafter as “OSHA”) entered into force on January 15, 2019. One major aspect of the revision is that it has raised the risk of liability of representatives of institutions and companies and companies for workplace industries in Korea. The amended Korean OSHA law is expected to increase the risk to company management, increase liability of companies and increase options for employees that are perceived to have been harmed because of the
Continue readingSean Hayes attended the Korea Business Forum
The Korean Business Forum is one of the leading private groups of senior executives in leading companies doing business in Korea. The group meets, at least, monthly to discuss major issues affecting businesses in Korea. I, highly, recommend applying for membership in the Korean Business Forum. This month’s meeting addressed issues facing the Korean economy, the new labor policy of the Moon Administration, and major reasons why Korea is still important for international businesses. Some interesting takeaways: Korea is the
Continue reading“Probationary Periods” in Korean Employment Contracts for Newly-Hired Workers
Korean companies should consider negotiating stipulations to create “probationary periods” at the start of employment to train and assess newly-hired Korean workers. Often companies wish to evaluate workers over a set period of time after concluding a labor contract to assess the worker’s abilities and intelligence, and to allow the worker time to gain familiarity with the work. This period of employment is called a “probationary period.” The practice is relatively unregulated by the government. The Labor Standards Act of
Continue readingIs your Korean Employee a Dispatched Worker and Thus a De Facto “Employee” under the Korean Labor Standards Act?
In 2015, the Korean Supreme Court detailed standards in determining if a Subcontracted Worker in Korea is actually a Dispatched Worker and, thus, a de facto employee of your Korean Company. The designation has implications for retirement benefits, employment security and the payment of benefits. Dispatched Workers vs. Subcontracted Workers Companies employ, in Korea, often workers via manpower supply companies and via subcontracting agreements. These employees are not retained directly by the Company, but are retained via a manpower company
Continue readingConsequences of a Business Transfer in Korea: Employee Transfer?
In Korea, there is no statutory provision for the protection of employees in the event of a business transfer. Therefore, it has been left to the Korean courts to decide whether, and in what circumstances, employee transfer may occur as part of a business transfer. The following is a basic explanation of the law of business transfer in Korea as it relates to the relationship between an employer and an employee. The Korean courts have generally held that, in the
Continue readingChoice of Law Issues in Employment Disputes in Korea
Choice of law/jurisdiction issue often arise in Korea when an agreement chooses a law/jurisdiction for resolution of a dispute other than Korea, internal conflicts in the agreement exist (yes this happens) or no choice of law/jurisdiction clause was chosen and the agreement seems to be better handled by a foreign court, or by the law of the foreign jurisdiction, because of, inter alia, the locale of witnesses and the subject matter of the agreement. Choice of law/jurisdiction issues are governed in
Continue readingEmployment Background Checks in Korea: Not so Different from China
My friends over at the China Law Blog posted an article quoting the Chinese Business Leadership blog that noting that: “We were placing a GM for a Western family owned factory. They are small and troubled. We found 15 thoroughly qualified candidates for the position. We had candidates tell us they worked at a company 5 years when they only worked. We had candidates tell us they were super valuable, and the company does not want to let them go.
Continue reading7 Musts to Succeed in Business in Korea
We have the unique pleasure to have a bird’s-eye view of numerous clients’ businesses in Korea. At this stage of our experience in Korea we are, typically, able to determine which companies will, likely, succeed and which companies will, likely, fail. We are far from perfect, but companies that succeed in Korea, normally, have the following seven things in common: 1. Comprehensive Understanding of the Korean Market by a Neutral Local Consultant This understanding, normally, comes from one of the
Continue readingKorean Independent Contractor Risks: Korean Labor Standards Act Basics
The Korean Court System has been less reluctant, in recent years, to deem a Korean independent contractor an “employee” under the Labor Standards Act (LSA). This fact remains true even when an employer establishes that the independent contractor is aware that he/she was contracted as an independent contractor, thus, not a regular employee of the Korean company. Upon the establishment of the status as “employee” in Korea, the individual is entitled to all of the benefits of an employee including,
Continue readingKorea’s Occupational Safety and Health Act Amendments for 2018 (OSHA Korea Updates)
Because of the perceived need, in Korea, to protect workers’ emotional and physical health in the service sector, the Occupational Safety & Health Act of Korea (“OSHA Korea”) was amended. The major OSHA Korea amendments impose a: Duty on Employers to Protect the Emotional & Physical Health of Employees The OSHA Korea Amendment mandates employers, in the service sector, to protect the emotional and physical health of employees from abusive acts of customers. We do not, yet, have substantial details
Continue readingRestrictive Covenants in Korean Employment Agreements and the Lawyers in Korea that Draft Them
The form agreements dished out by some Korean “legal experts” on employment law at many of the “ubiquitous” Korean “law firms” has led me to write, again, on this issue. If a lawyer gives you a form labor agreement/employment separation agreement that does not consider the below, no need to fret, you are not alone – just move on. Most firms and attorneys in Korea are providing work product that is much lower in quality than the mediocre firms overseas
Continue readingCivil Liability of Companies for Actions of Employees Off the Company Property and After Work Hours
Korea imposes, in some cases, liability on companies for actions of employees of companies even when the employee conducts an intentional wrongful act outside the workplace, after the work hours and beyond the duties imposed by the employer. The employer is not relieved of civil liability by a mere limiting the scope of duties of employees, warnings to employees or having comprehensive sexual harassment education programs. A, typical, sexual harassment situation, related to this issue, occurs after a company office
Continue readingInfertility/Subfertility & Childcare Leave Law in Korea
The recent Moon Administration is making drastic changes to Korea’s Employment & Labor Law. A prior article on promises made by the Moon Administration was posted earlier in the year. Two interesting changes relate to “Subfertility Leave” and “Childcare Leave.” We shall be updating the reader over the next couple weeks on numerous other issues that are important for employers and employees to understand about Korean Employment & Labor Law. Check back often and subscribe via the link to Right.
Continue readingNon-Compete Restrictive Covenant in Employment Contracts in Korea
Korean courts have invalidated numerous, non-compete agreements, reduced the amount of time of the non-compete period and/or have reduced liquidated damage amounts for violation of non-compete agreements. Courts typically balance the freedom to work (an ability to work outside the specific field) with the significance of the interest in the employer to enforce the covenant not to compete. The primary factors courts utilize in determining whether to enforce a non-compete agreement are: if compensation was paid in exchange for the
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