Human Rights Commission recommends supplementary sexual harassment prevention training at small businesses
Quick Look
- The National Human Rights Commission recommended the Minister of Employment and Labor to supplement the system for small private businesses that have inadequate workplace sexual harassment prevention training.
- The training participation rate of workplaces with less than 30 employees is low, and workplaces with less than 10 employees are in a blind spot because training can be replaced only by posting and distributing materials.
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Why It Matters
Sexual harassment prevention training has been mandatory for all workplaces since 1999, but the smaller the workplace, the less effective the training becomes. In particular, workplaces with less than 10 full-time employees are in a blind spot because training can only be replaced by posting and distributing materials.
The National Human Rights Commission announced on the 7th that it recommended the Minister of Employment and Labor to supplement related systems for small businesses in the private sector where workplace sexual harassment prevention training is relatively inadequate.
Sexual harassment prevention training has been mandatory in all workplaces since 1999. Employers must provide sexual harassment prevention training for the employer and all employees at least once a year.
However, the smaller the workplace, the less effective the training becomes.
According to the 2024 Ministry of Gender Equality and Family survey on sexual harassment in workplaces with 30 or more employees, the smaller the workplace, the lower the participation rate in sexual harassment prevention training.
The training participation rate for workplaces with 500 or more employees was 97.7%, 95.1% for 300 to 499 employees, 95.6% for 100 to 299 employees, and 93.6% for 30 to 99 employees.
The problem is that in the case of small businesses with less than 30 employees, it is difficult to even determine whether training is being conducted smoothly.
In particular, workplaces with less than 10 full-time workers, which account for approximately 94.3% of all private workplaces, are virtually considered a blind spot in the system.
This is because the current Enforcement Decree of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act stipulates that in workplaces with less than 10 full-time workers or in workplaces where both the employer and workers are of the same gender, training can be replaced only by posting and distributing materials.
In order to make up for such blind spots, the Human Rights Commission recommended that the Minister of Labor expand preventive education support projects for small businesses with less than 30 full-time workers and conduct regular surveys to determine the status of businesses that have not yet implemented such programs.
It also recommended revising related regulations and preparing support measures so that workplaces with less than 10 employees or with workers of the same gender can strengthen sexual harassment prevention training.
Open Questions
- What will be the specific budget size when support projects are expanded?
- How will the cycle and method of regular surveys be determined?
- What form will the support plan be in place to strengthen training for workplaces with less than 10 employees?
