Over a third of employees report contradictory stances on work conditions from their employers post-hiring
In a recent survey conducted by Workplace Gabjil 119, it was revealed that 85.8 percent of the respondents believe that the Fair Hiring Procedure Act should be applied to all places of business, not just larger ones. The survey, which polled 1,000 workers across South Korea, suggests that many South Korean workers believe the Act should be extended to smaller businesses.
The Fair Hiring Procedure Act, as it currently stands, is not applied to businesses with under five employees. The survey did not specify whether the respondents who wanted the Act extended to smaller businesses had specific reasons for their belief, nor did it indicate whether they were aware of the current exemption for smaller businesses.
The survey results also pointed towards a discrepancy between the promised and actual working conditions at many South Korean jobs. Over a third (35.5%) of South Korean workers experienced such discrepancies, with the discrepancy being most common in businesses with under five employees, where 42.4% of respondents reported such issues.
While there is no specific public information indicating a current push to extend the Fair Hiring Procedure Act to smaller South Korean businesses specifically due to discrepancies between promised and actual working conditions, South Korea's 2025 labor reforms are heavily focused on improving worker rights, better enforcement, and ensuring fair labor conditions across industries.
The Fair Hiring Procedure Act in South Korea prohibits unfavorable changes to job advertisements without justifiable grounds, as stated in section 2 of Article 4 of the Act. However, it is currently only applied to businesses that regularly employ at least 30 people. These businesses are not subject to some clauses of the Labor Standard Act.
The government's broader labor reform agenda suggests a growing focus on fair employment practices and might indirectly prompt future expansions or amendments, but such measures targeting smaller firms under the Fair Hiring Procedure Act for that reason are not confirmed in the available data.
The Fair Hiring Procedure Act's expansion to small businesses could potentially improve workplace wellness by ensuring healthier working conditions, as suggested by the survey's findings of discrepancies between promised and actual working conditions being most common in businesses with under five employees. As the South Korean government pushes for 2025 labor reforms focusing on worker rights, better enforcement, and fair labor conditions across industries, there might be indirect influences on extending the Fair Hiring Procedure Act to smaller firms. While the survey did not explicitly link the discrepancies to the Act's extension, the Act's current focus on larger businesses in the finance and business sectors could be extended to small-business settings for more comprehensive science-backed health-and-wellness programs and improved workplace dynamics.
