HomeCases for workers
Cases for workers
Cases where you need to claim your rights against your company, such as dismissal, unpaid wages, industrial accidents and workplace harassment. Most have short deadlines, so your first response often decides the outcome.
Practice areas
This section is for workers in a dispute with their company over dismissal, wages, an industrial accident or harassment. Each area covers the applicable law, deadlines and the issues most often disputed.
- Unfair dismissalRemedy applications to the Labor Relations Commission, recommended resignation, unfair discipline
- Unpaid wages & severance payComplaints to the labor office, substitute payment (대지급금), wage lawsuits
- Ordinary wage lawsuitsBonuses tied to employment status, recalculating allowances
- Workplace harassmentReporting, company investigations, damages
- Industrial accident claims & appealsRecognition of occupational injury, review and re-review, administrative lawsuits
- Industrial accident damagesCivil claims against the company, bereaved families in fatal accidents
- Worker status disputesSeverance and dismissal claims under freelance or outsourcing contracts
- Trade unions & unfair labor practicesRemedy applications, collective bargaining, the "Yellow Envelope Act"
Deadlines to check first
In labor cases, missing a date often means losing the chance to dispute the matter, even when you have the right.
| What | Deadline | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Remedy application for unfair dismissal | Within 3 months from the date of dismissal | Labor Standards Act, Article 28(2) |
| Claim for unpaid wages and severance pay | 3 years from the payment date (statute of limitations) | Labor Standards Act, Article 49; Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act, Article 10 |
| Claim for industrial accident insurance benefits | 3 years (5 years for disability and survivors' benefits, etc.) | Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, Article 112 |
| Request for review of a rejected industrial accident claim | Within 90 days from the day you learned of the decision | Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act, Article 103 |
| Damages claim against the company | 3 years from the day you learned of the damage and who caused it | Civil Act, Article 766 |
Do you run a company or work in HR?
See Cases for employersIn labor cases, deadlines start running from the day you receive a notice
Check the date on the documents you received, such as a dismissal notice, pay slip or industrial accident decision, and contact us. We will first explain which procedures are still open to you within the remaining time.
Phone consultations are held in Korean. For English, please use the online form.