Dear MEL Topic Readers,
S Korea employers could face jail under
harassment law
Remember the “nut rage incident” in 2014? When
the then vice-president of Korean Air was not satisfied with the way nuts were
served by her own employee in the first-class cabin, she got mad and ordered
the aircraft to return to the gate before takeoff at JFK airport in New York.
This incident received wide attention from the
media as it took place on a commercial flight and disrupted the operation of
the major US airport. However, such workplace harassment is not uncommon in
South Korea where seniority-based culture has long been deeply rooted. And
sometimes employees in a weaker position, such as junior workers or women, are
bullied or harassed by their superiors or even colleges by shouting,
embarrassing, gossiping, spreading personal information, and forcing drinking
or smoking.
Recently, workplace anti-bullying laws have
been introduced to protect employees from bullying or harassment in the country.
Now, employers could face a substantial fine or even prison time if the
protection law is violated. Whether new laws will change the wide-spread
customs will remain to be seen.
By the way, the nut-rage VP was a daughter of
the airline’s owner. She has sentenced a twelve-month prison term in a South
Korean court and served five months.
Enjoy reading and learn about South Korea’s traditional
workplace problems and new solutions.
No comments:
Post a Comment