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Duties, Attendance and the Personnel Committee: What Korean Employment Rules Say

Understand employee duties, absence rules and the personnel committee in Korean employment rules.

 


The next part of the draft rules deals with how you are expected to behave at work, and how personnel decisions are made. The book marks most of these as optional, because they are meant to keep order in the workplace and can be adjusted to the situation.

Article 8 lists an employee's duties. Employees must perform their jobs faithfully, keep trade secrets and not disclose confidential information, follow company regulations and reasonable instructions from supervisors, and not do anything that damages their integrity as employees or discredits the company. Notice that keeping trade secrets is right there in the standard duties. It ties back to the first articles in this series.

Article 9 is about attendance and absence. Employees should arrive before working hours begin and be ready to start. If you need to be absent because of illness or other unavoidable reasons, you must get your department head's approval in advance. If you truly cannot, you must explain and get approval on the day of absence at the latest. Without that, you may be treated as absent without leave. The book adds a note that preparation time is normally counted as working hours, so requiring someone to come in too early can cause controversy.

Article 10 covers late arrivals, early departures and outings. You notify your department head or direct supervisor. These missed hours are in principle without pay. The sample allows eight missed hours to be counted as one day of annual leave, but only with the employee's consent. The book warns that treating missed hours as absence can put the employee at a disadvantage in calculating annual leave, so it is not allowed unless labor and management have a special agreement.

Article 11 is exercise of civil rights. Employees who ask for time off to vote or perform public duties must be granted the time needed, although the company may adjust the hours if it does not interfere with the exercise of that right. The book notes that absence to vote in the four major elections is with pay, and the same goes for certain public duties such as civil defense and reserve forces.

Article 12 is business travel, and the company pays actual travel expenses.

Chapter 4 begins with the Personnel Committee. This is optional, but it helps make personnel management more transparent. The sample committee has no more than five members, including the company president, and is chaired by the president or someone he appoints. It decides rewards, disciplinary actions, and other personnel matters. Meetings require a majority of members, and decisions pass by a majority of those present, but disciplinary actions need at least two-thirds. The chairperson has the tie-breaking vote. Meetings are closed, and anyone directly involved in a vote cannot take part in it. The notice for a meeting is normally given seven days ahead.

If your company ever faces you with a disciplinary matter, ask if there is a Personnel Committee, how it votes, and whether you have an appeal procedure. A fair process matters.


About the Author



English Instructor in South Korea | 22 Years of Teaching Experience

Majella Pagayon is the founder of Pinoy Sarang, a community platform dedicated to helping Filipinos navigate life, work, education, and immigration in South Korea. She regularly writes practical guides, safety tips, and educational resources for Filipinos living and working abroad.

I am Majella, an English Instructor with nearly 22 years of teaching experience in South Korea. Based in Chungju, I am the founder of Pinoy Sarang and Hiraya Filipina Korea. My mission is to bridge the gap between traditional teaching and the digital business world, helping others find their path to success.