South Korea to review new workplace disaster law
- Claire Lee
- Topics: Employment Law, Health and Wellness, Home Page - News, News, South Korea
South Korea is set to review an enforcement decree for the new workplace disaster law aimed at better protecting workers from industrial accidents, reports Yonhap News Agency.
Under the new law set to take effect in January 2022, business owners and CEOs could face harsher sentences of a minimum one-year prison sentence or up to 1 billion won (US$855,000) in fines in the event of deadly disasters caused by lax workplace safety measures while workers are on duty.
The enforcement decree outlines the responsibilities of company executives to establish safety and health management policies, protocols for improving hazardous workplace elements, and the creation of personnel positions and budgets dedicated to address safety and health issues at workplaces.
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The decree has been met with opposition from both labour and management groups and will be up for further review.
The bill was first passed in January, enforcing punishment of business owners and CEOs of firms with five or more workers in the event of deadly workplace disasters.
