Six out of 10 South Korean employees arrive to work even during typhoons and heavy rains; workers are also forced to take unpaid leave

In South Korea, it was found that the majority of company employees were required to arrive to work on time this summer, even in disaster situations. Some employees were penalized for being late, and safety measures to adapt to climate change were also required.
According to the Korea Workplace Harassment Association 119 on the 28th, 61.4% of company employees said they would not tolerate natural disasters such as typhoons, extreme heat, heavy snow, or earthquakes.
A survey was conducted on people who arrived to work on time even in situations where the government recommended working from home or adjusting their work hours. Of those, 15.9% had experienced bullying for being late in natural disaster situations.
The survey was conducted by Global Research, a public opinion survey organization, on 10,000 people nationwide aged 19 and over from May 31 to June 10.
A questionnaire survey on "experiences of arriving to work in natural disaster situations" was conducted on 1,000 company employees. Workplace A-119 expressed concern that many company employees arrive to work even in disaster situations.
In some cases, company employees were forced to take unpaid leave by their employers. When the nursery school was ordered to close due to a typhoon forecast in August last year, the principal told her that she would take one day off by deducting her personal paid leave.
Mr. A said, "Even if the children are not there, there are documents and work that need to be done, so I said I would arrive to work, but that was not accepted." Mr. B, who works at a sports facility, was also told by the director this month that he would be sent to the gym on a rainy day.
B said, "The manager used a clause in the employment contract that said 'breaks due to rain or snow are not included in working hours' to kick out all the employees, leaving me alone."
"I may not be able to work for 12 days this month due to the rainy season, but I don't know how to deal with it," he said, lamenting. Even if company employees are forced to take involuntary leave and arrive at dangerous times in disaster situations,
However, there is no legal basis for protecting them. In the case of public servants, the "National Public Servant Service Regulations" and the "Local Public Servant Service Regulations" provide that public servants should not be required to take leave if they are unable to arrive at work due to natural disasters, traffic blockages, or other reasons.
On the other hand, for non-public employees, the current Labor Standards Act and other labor-related laws do not include special provisions for leave due to natural disasters or other natural disasters.
Since there are no strict regulations, it is up to the employer's discretion whether to adjust arrival and departure times when a typhoon or heavy rain warning is issued, or whether to apply paid leave if employees are allowed to take time off.
Regarding this, Cho Ju-hee, a labor lawyer at Workplace Quality 119, said, "Due to climate change, damage caused by natural disasters such as extreme heat and heavy rains is becoming more severe every year.
"Despite this, the reality is that the majority of workers have to continue arriving to work in dangerous conditions," he said. "Under current labor laws, workers are not allowed to leave the workplace in the event of a natural disaster or other disaster unless their employer allows it.
"Even if the situation is harmful, lateness or absence is the worker's responsibility, and any disadvantages that arise as a result are also the worker's responsibility," he said, adding, "In order for workers to work safely in a changing environment, formal safety and accident prevention measures are necessary.
"Rather than simply sending notices, we need to establish substantial systems and laws," he added.