No More Free Passes for Boss's Family? Up to 10 Million Won in Fines

Moving forward, if a supervisor or employee who is a relative of a business owner or a corporate executive commits sexual harassment in the workplace, they will face a fine of up to 10 million won.

The system has been strengthened so that penalties can be imposed even on perpetrators who previously evaded internal disciplinary actions due to their position within the company or their relationship with the business owner.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that an amendment to the enforcement decree of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act containing these provisions was deliberated and resolved at a Cabinet meeting today (Nov. 3).

Previously, fines for workplace sexual harassment were imposed only on business owners, while harassment by corporate executives, superiors, or employees was subject solely to internal company discipline.

In particular, there were widespread criticisms that objective investigations and disciplinary actions were difficult when the perpetrator was a corporate executive or a relative of the business owner.

Accordingly, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was amended last May to expand the scope of those subject to fines, and the latest enforcement decree amendment specifies the scope of relatives and the criteria for imposing fines.

Relatives subject to the fines are superiors or employees working at the workplace who are spouses, blood relatives within the fourth degree, or relatives by marriage within the fourth degree of the business owner or corporate executive.

The fines are set at 3 million won if the business owner or corporate executive commits sexual harassment, and 2 million won if a superior or employee who is a relative commits sexual harassment.

If the perpetrator commits sexual harassment multiple times or targets two or more individuals, a fine of 5 million won will be imposed regardless of the category of the offender. For individuals who have received a fine for sexual harassment within the past three years and commit the offense again, a fine of 10 million won will be levied.

Also approved at today's Cabinet meeting was an amendment to the enforcement decree of the Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Aged Employment Promotion.

The obligation for employers to provide reemployment support services—such as career design and job placement—to involuntary retirees aged 50 or older will be expanded step-by-step from current workplaces with 1,000 or more employees to those with 500 or more employees starting in July next year, and to those with 300 or more employees starting in July 2029.

Employers will also be permitted to provide conveniences, such as adjusting working hours, to workers participating in job programs including vocational training.

In addition, the relevant enforcement decree was amended to require employers, when granting a reduction in working hours for childcare, to notify the worker in writing or electronically within 14 days from the date of application.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.