By Yi Whan-woo
One in four teenagers employed, usually in part-time or short term positions, work without contracts and are unaware of the protection such agreements provide regarding labor rights, the government announced Tuesday.
The Ministry of Gender, Equality, and Family said that in a survey conducted, 36 of 144 workers aged between 16 and 18 responded that they found paperwork “cumbersome.” Employers said that they found providing contracts to be “bothersome,” despite being legally obliged to provide them.
The responses came when the ministry conducted a joint-inspection with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and local governments in Seoul, Busan, and other major cities across the country between July 24 and 27.
The survey was conducted during the school summer break, when a high number of students sought work to earn money.
The participants were chosen randomly, and the ministry said most were short-term or part-time workers.
“Teenagers and their employers did not consider their deals that seriously,” a government official said. “A worker, however, can’t claim his or her labor rights if the employer refuses to make payment because they have not signed an employment contract.”
The ministry added that small private restaurants on the outskirts of cities are more likely to break the law than franchise restaurants in downtown areas.