Sexual Harassment Prevention Training in Korea - by Labor Law Firm SAERO
    • Date2023/12/01 14:05
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    Sexual harassment prevention training is a mandatory training that must be conducted in all workplaces employing labor, and even employers themselves are required to undergo this training. Failure to conduct the training may result in a penalty up to KRW 5,000,000.
     
    Even when the training is done, if it is difficult to verified whether the educational content has been effectively delivered, merely distributing materials or posting notices on bulletin boards may not be considered as having conducted prevention training.
    Therefore, it is advisable for employers to delegate the task to an institution desginated by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to ensure the implementation of harassment prevention training.
     
     
    1. Why is it necessary to conduct face-to-face training for foreign employees and executives?
     
    As mentioned earlier, workplace harassment prevention education is a legal obligation that must be conducteed annually for all employees. However, relying solely on formal online training may pose difficulties in grasping the requirements, criteria for judgment, and important considerations regarding sexual harassment and ohter types of harassment in Korea.
     
    Korean employees often have a good understanding of what constitutes workplace harassment in Korea through media, social networking services, and conversations with acquaintances. On the other hand, foreign employees may have limited exposure to Korean cases.
     
    When workplace sexual harassment occurs, various legal obligations arise for the company, including (a) the duty to investigate the allegations, (b) protection of the victimized employee, (c) measures against the perpetrator, and (d) and post-incident actions. Furthermore, if the victim claims compensation for damages from the company, civil liability (Employer's Liability for Compensation) also comes into play.
     
    Therefore, it is essential to provide effective sexual harassment prevention training to foreign employees and executives to ensure that inappropriate behavior does not occur, addressting the relevnat content compehensively.
     
    2. How 'SAERO's conducts sexual harassment prevention training
     
    (1) Basic Survey (Company - SAERO)
    • Identify the training participants (regular employees, managers, etc.)
    • Understand the purpose for the training (e.g., whether there is a recent occurrence of harassment to raise awareness)
    • Coordinate the teaching method and location
    • Review internal guidelines related to sexual harassment
    • Check the history of harassment prevention training
     
    (2) Develop a Lecture Plan and Preliminary Discussion (SAERO - Company)
    • Confirm the participants through preliminary surveys or other engagement activities
    • Determine training goals aligned with the company's objectives and motivations for training
     
    (3) Create Lecture Materials (SAERO)
    • Include fundamental knowledge such as the concept of harassment, criteria for judgment, types of harassment, employer's obligations, and grievance procedures
    • For managerial participants, incorporate information about their position, role, attitude, etc.
     
    (4) Conduct Prevention Training (SAERO - Employees)
    • Deliver lectures based on the prepared materials
    • Conduct a Q&A session
     
    Based on our diverse experience in handling various cases, Labor Law Firm SAERO conducts thorough investigations into workplace harassment and sexual harassment in the workplace, aiming to derive a reasonable conclusion.

    Our experience includes:
    - Cases where harassment reports were received against department heads, company executives, and union leaders
    - Cases involving multiple perpetrators or victims
    - Cases stemming from anonymous reports
    - Conducting investigations in English for foreign employees
     
    For any questions, please contact us using 'CONTACT US' section at the bottom of our webpage or send an email directly to mihyun.kim@saerolabor.com.