One Word During Roll Call, Pamphlet Distribution and Done... NHRCK Recommends Improving Workplace Sexual-Harassment Prevention Training

[Financial News] Amid continued reports that workplace sexual-harassment prevention training is being conducted as a mere formality, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) recommended that the Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) improve the system to enhance the training’s effectiveness.
The NHRCK said on the 7th that it had recommended to the MOEL minister on the 26th of last month that the ministry strengthen its oversight and management of private-sector workplace sexual-harassment prevention training institutions and instructors, while expanding support for small workplaces and the development of tailored content by industry and target audience.
Under the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act, employers must provide workplace sexual-harassment prevention training at least once a year for the employer and all employees. However, unlike in the public sector, the private sector lacks a sufficient legal basis and system for managing and supervising such training, leading to continued criticism that it is difficult to ensure proper implementation. The NHRCK’s own investigation confirmed cases in which training consisted of a brief mention during roll call or a meeting, or the distribution of materials. According to a 2023 NHRCK survey, 71.3% of respondents said the training was conducted through lectures or audiovisual materials. Meanwhile, 14.8% said it was briefly mentioned during an employee roll call or meeting, and 13.9% said pamphlets or other materials were distributed for employees to review individually.
There were also cases in which training was combined with product promotion. Insurance, financial services and funeral-service companies conducted product promotions alongside sexual-harassment prevention training. The NHRCK assessed that such training was often conducted for less than one hour, raising concerns that its content and format could be inadequate. It also pointed to the lack of appropriate accredited standards for managing instructors and a system for continuing education. Even when outside instructors were invited individually, there were no separate qualification requirements, making it difficult to ensure their expertise, the commission explained. 
In response, the NHRCK recommended overhauling the relevant system, including the designation of prevention-training institutions and the operation and approval of instructor-training programs, while strengthening management and oversight. It also called for clear standards to ensure that training linked to product sales or promotion is not recognized as qualifying prevention training.
The commission also proposed supplementary measures for small workplaces. Under the Enforcement Decree of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Work-Family Balance Assistance Act, workplaces with fewer than 10 regular employees, or workplaces where the employer and all employees are of the same sex, may substitute the posting or distribution of materials for prevention training. However, the NHRCK determined that sexual harassment can occur even among people of the same sex and that posting or distributing materials alone is unlikely to have a meaningful preventive effect. It therefore recommended expanding support programs for workplaces with fewer than 30 regular employees and regular surveys of workplaces that fail to provide the training. It also recommended gradually revising the provisions allowing alternative training at workplaces with fewer than 10 employees.
The NHRCK said, "We hope that this recommendation will serve as an opportunity for professional and substantive prevention training to be provided in the private sector, regardless of workplace size or industry."
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter