The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Garbage collector mistakes sex doll for corpse

  • 3

    Netflix announces password sharing crackdown in Korea

  • 5

    Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone

  • 7

    Retailers return to Myeong-dong as more foreign tourists visit

  • 9

    4 South Korean activists arrested for executing orders from Pyongyang

  • 11

    Japanese comic series 'Slam Dunk' enjoys resurgence on back of animated film

  • 13

    President pledges support for Korean chipmakers to overcome crisis

  • 15

    Income gap widening among workers

  • 17

    Korea's presidential couple celebrates recovery of Cambodian boy who received heart surgery

  • 19

    Retired actress Shim Eun-ha denies rumor of return

  • 2

    Free subway rides for elderly emerge as headache for Seoul mayor

  • 4

    Korea seeks measures to better protect foreign workers

  • 6

    Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers

  • 8

    Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy

  • 10

    Is non-consensual sex not rape?

  • 12

    ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views

  • 14

    $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing

  • 16

    INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene

  • 18

    China imposes mandatory virus tests for arrivals from Korea only in latest protest over curbs

  • 20

    Space industry takes off in South Jeolla Province

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Fri, February 3, 2023 | 09:58
’Emotional workers’ left uncared for
Posted : 2011-12-04 18:12
Updated : 2011-12-04 18:12
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
By Kim Tae-jong

Kim, a worker at a Seoul-based call center, received a phone call from a customer, who started to swear at her suddenly in the middle of the conversation. But Kim had no choice but to keep saying, “I’m sorry,” without knowing why.

“He swore at me for about 30 minutes and told me sarcastically to swear at him back as he knew I couldn’t do so,” she said. “All I could do was to say sorry, as I wasn’t allowed to hang up first.”

Another shop assistant Lee, working at a department store in downtown Seoul, also complained how she was badly treated by customers.

“Some customers just yell at me when they can’t find products they want. I think customers basically tend to look down on us,” she said.

But she also said shop assistants are never allowed to defend themselves because they can receive poor performance ratings if customers complain to their supervisors.

Like the two cases, many of these so-called “emotional workers” are ill-treated by customers.

Emotional workers refer to those who are engaged in employment that requires them to regulate their emotions. They include nurses, call center employees, shop assistants and salesmen.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) conducted face-to-face interviews with 30 such female workers last October. Citing the interview results, the NHRC said a majority of emotional workers, especially female employees, suffer from human rights abuses.

In another survey of 303 customers, the NHRC also found over 20 percent of the respondents said they have vented their anger on workers.

“Emotional workers in Korea are severely looked down on by customers and treated in a really bad way,” said Kang Eun-soon, an official from the NHRC. “But they are always forced to provide customers with excessive kindness,”

She demanded the government and companies come up with protective measures for emotional workers such as a limit of customer calls that a call center worker should handle a day.

In this regard, the NHRC has also launched a campaign to encourage people to show more respect and consideration for emotional workers and requested the legislation of a special law to improve their working conditions and to protect their human rights.

Experts say emotional workers suffer from extreme stress and sometimes severe depression, calling for companies to systematically help them properly take care of emotional exhaustion.

According to last year’s survey by the Korean Federation of Private Service Workers’ Unions (KFPSWU), depression rates of emotional workers were much higher than that of officer workers.

The survey of 3,096 workers showed 32.7 percent of cosmetics salespeople, 31.6 percent of casino dealers and 26.5 percent of cashers had symptoms of depression, requiring medical treatment. In comparison, the depression rate of office workers stood at 23.9 percent.

Currently, some emotional workers receive extra pay as some unions and management agreed on that in 2006, but labor activists argue that financial benefits cannot be a good supporting measure.

“Emotional workers need time to relieve their physical and mental fatigue as they often suffer from extreme stress due to unreasonable demands from customers and verbal assaults,” said Jung Min-jung, general director at the KFPSWU.

The KFPSWU is now encouraging its member unions to demand “paid emotional leave” from next year, she said.

Some unions including that of cosmetics company L’OREAL Korea said they plan to request management to allow their sales workers to have “paid emotional leave” guaranteed in their collective agreement next year.

e3dward@koreatimes.co.kr


Emaile3dward@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone Samsung unveils new Galaxy S23 smartphone
2Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers Seoul city council under fire for sexual conduct guidelines for teachers
3[INTERVIEW] A touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene INTERVIEWA touch of authenticity in Korea's Mexican cuisine scene
4Pyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South KoreaPyongyang threatens eye-for-eye response as US B-1B bombers join drills in South Korea
5Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons Gov't announces measures to cope with shortage of surgeons
6Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people Police to introduce new measures to better handle intoxicated people
7[INTERVIEW] 'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula'INTERVIEW'Extended deterrence is best option to ensure peace on Korean Peninsula'
8[INTERVIEW] US-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society INTERVIEWUS-NK summit is unlikely in 2023: Korea Society
9[INTERVIEW] IMF expects no recession for Korean economy INTERVIEWIMF expects no recession for Korean economy
10Taxi passengers in Seoul taken aback by fare increase Taxi passengers in Seoul taken aback by fare increase
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy Major webtoon platforms' fight against piracy
2ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views ENHYPEN-inspired webtoon 'Dark Moon: The Blood Altar' surpasses 100 million views
3$120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing $120,000 banana, praying Hitler: Infamous art world prankster Maurizio Cattelan's first Seoul outing
4PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers PULL UP: VIVIZ returns with new song about gossipers
5Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth' Park Hyung-sik to play crown prince in tvN series 'Our Blooming Youth'
DARKROOM
  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group