Moving forward, penalties of up to 10 million won will be imposed on perpetrators of workplace sexual harassment even if the offender is a superior or worker who is a relative of the business owner or corporate representative.

The system has been reinforced so that penalties can be levied against offenders who previously faced difficulties with internal disciplinary actions due to their status within the company or 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 the Cabinet meeting today (November 3).

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

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

Accordingly, the Equal Employment Opportunity Act was amended last May to expand the targets subject to fines, and the latest enforcement decree revision specifically sets the scope of relatives and the criteria for imposing penalties.

Relatives subject to the fines are superiors or workers working at the same workplace who are the spouse of the business owner or corporate representative, blood relatives within the fourth degree, or relatives by marriage within the fourth degree.

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

In cases where an individual commits sexual harassment multiple times or targets two or more people, a fine of 5 million won will be imposed regardless of the category of the offender. If a person who received a fine for sexual harassment within the last three years commits sexual harassment again, a fine of 10 million won will be imposed.

The Cabinet meeting also approved an amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination in Employment and Encouragement of Elderly Employment.

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 in phases: starting July of next year for workplaces with 500 or more employees, compared to the current 1,000 or more, and expanding to workplaces with 300 or more employees starting 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, related enforcement decrees were revised to mandate that when an employer grants a worker's request for reduced working hours during the childcare period, the employer must notify the worker in writing or electronically within 14 days from the date the application was received.