en한국in

Work & Pay

Problems that come up at work — severance, unpaid wages, workplace change, all in one place. Foreign workers are equally protected by law.

Get your unpaid wages

Estimate unpaid wages and build a complaint draft you file — no login

Claim your departure insurance gap

If the payout is less than your severance, claim the difference from your employer

Injured at Work? File for Industrial Accident

File yourself even if your employer won’t — get treatment & leave benefits

🧮 Severance Pay Calculator

Enter your start date, last day, and average monthly wage to estimate your severance.

📖 Read the ‘Severance Pay’ guide

This is an estimate. Your actual average wage includes bonuses/allowances, so results may differ. Verify the exact amount and eligibility with the Ministry of Employment and Labor ☎1350 or a labor attorney.

📅 Annual Leave Calculator

Enter your start date to see how many days of annual paid leave you're entitled to now. It applies equally to foreign workers.

📖 Read the ‘Annual Paid Leave’ guide

This is an estimate based on the Labor Standards Act. Actual leave can vary with attendance rate (80%), fiscal-year accounting, and leave-use promotion. Verify the exact days with the Ministry of Employment and Labor ☎1350 or a labor attorney.

⏱️ Overtime Pay Calculator

Enter your hourly wage and overtime hours to estimate the premium pay (typically 1.5×). It applies equally to foreign workers.

📖 Read the ‘Pay Slip’ guide

An estimate based on the Labor Standards Act premium (1.5×). It may differ for workplaces under 5 employees, overlapping night/holiday work, or ordinary-wage calculation. Verify the exact amount with the Ministry of Employment and Labor ☎1350 or a labor attorney.

Work guides

Severance Pay

Severance pay is a statutory benefit for workers who leave after a qualifying period (Employee Retirement Benefit Security Act). As a rule, if you worked 1+ year continuously averaging 15+ hours/week, you receive at least 30 days of average wage per year of service. It applies equally to foreign workers regardless of nationality or visa, and is generally due within 14 days of leaving. Use the calculator above for an estimate (your exact amount depends on how average wage is computed).

Unpaid Wages

If your wages, allowances, or severance aren’t paid on the due date, foreign workers are protected by law just the same regardless of nationality or visa. You can file a complaint (jinjeong) to demand payment, or a criminal report (goso) for a Labor Standards Act violation. Gather evidence and report to the Ministry of Employment and Labor — a labor inspector investigates, and multilingual help is available at ☎1350. Whether it is a violation and the exact amount are decided by the inspector/experts, so don’t conclude on your own.

Changing Workplace (E-9)

Under E-9 (Employment Permit System), the rule is to keep working at the workplace where you started — you cannot freely switch jobs. But if there’s a legitimate reason such as business closure or unpaid wages that makes a normal working relationship impossible, you can change workplaces through the employment center. Rules on the number of changes, valid reasons, and the job-search period change with policy, so don’t assume — always confirm the latest with the employment center, ☎1345, or ☎1350.

Departure Guarantee Insurance

Employers of E-9 workers are legally required to enroll in departure guarantee insurance. It’s paid out when you leave Korea after working 1+ year and functions like severance pay. It’s usually run through Samsung Fire’s foreign-worker insurance — you apply before departure and can receive it at the airport on departure or to your bank account afterward. If the payout is less than your legal severance, you can claim the difference separately.

Annual Paid Leave

Annual paid leave is legally guaranteed days off that are still paid, earned after a qualifying period (Labor Standards Act Art. 60). Work a year with 80%+ attendance and you get 15 days; if you’ve worked under a year or had under 80% attendance, you earn 1 day per fully-worked month. It applies equally to foreign workers regardless of nationality or visa. The days below are the legal baseline; the actual timing can vary with your company’s fiscal-year method, so check your own days with the calculator above.

Employment Contract

Getting a written contract (electronic is fine) stating your wage, contracted hours, holidays, annual leave, etc. when you start is a legal right (Labor Standards Act Art. 17). An employer who fails to deliver it can be penalized. Check it includes wage, hours, holidays, duties, and contract period; signing without understanding it often leads to disputes later, so always keep your own copy. It applies to every worker regardless of nationality or visa.

4 Major Insurances

Working in Korea enrolls you in the 4 major insurances (National Pension, Health, Employment, and Industrial Accident). They protect you when you’re sick, injured, or lose your job. Industrial-accident premiums are fully employer-paid; the rest are usually shared between employer and worker and deducted from your pay. Foreigners are subject to mandatory enrollment when conditions are met (National Pension can vary by reciprocity with your home country), and you can check deductions on your pay slip.

Pay Slip

When paying wages, employers are legally required to issue a pay slip (Labor Standards Act Art. 48, in force since Nov 2021). It must show the total wage, itemized base pay/allowances, how they’re calculated, and deductions (income tax, 4 insurances), so you can see why your pay is what it is. Failing to provide one or stating it falsely can lead to a fine for the employer, and foreigners have the same right to receive it.

Minimum Wage

Every worker in Korea must be paid at least the minimum wage, and this applies to foreigners equally regardless of nationality or visa. Any part of a contract setting pay below the minimum is void and treated as an agreement to pay the minimum. ⚠️ The amount is announced yearly and changes each January 1, so check this year’s exact hourly rate with the Minimum Wage Commission (minimumwage.go.kr) or the Ministry of Employment and Labor (this app doesn’t state the figure).

Industrial Accident (Injured at Work)

If you’re injured or fall ill because of work, industrial accident insurance can cover treatment and compensation. The employer pays the full premium, it applies even from day one, and it covers foreigners equally regardless of nationality or visa. Crucially, even if your employer says it can’t be filed or won’t cooperate, you can apply for medical-care benefit directly to the Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service (KCOMWEL). Whether it’s recognized and the scope of compensation are decided by KCOMWEL — so file first.

Workplace Harassment & Discrimination

Workplace harassment — using position or relational power to exceed the proper scope of work and cause physical/mental suffering or worsen the work environment — is prohibited by law (Labor Standards Act Art. 76-2). Discrimination based on nationality or race is also banned, and foreign workers are protected equally. Anyone can report it to the company, and the employer is legally required to investigate without delay and protect the victim. Retaliating (dismissal/disadvantage) for reporting is a further violation. Don’t suffer alone — gather evidence and seek help.

Unemployment Benefit

If you lose your job through no fault of your own while enrolled in employment insurance, you may receive unemployment (job-seeking) benefit. Core requirements: 180+ insured days within the 18 months before separation, being able and willing to work but not employed, your separation not being a disqualifying reason, and actively job-seeking. Foreigners enrolled in employment insurance can receive it if they qualify, but eligibility depends on your visa/status, so always verify.

Unfair Dismissal

If you’re dismissed suddenly without just cause, foreign workers are protected by law just the same, regardless of nationality or visa. To dismiss someone, an employer must have a fair reason and follow procedure, including giving written notice of the reason and timing. If it seems unfair, you can file for remedy with the Labor Relations Commission — but there’s a deadline from the dismissal date (generally within 3 months), so act in time. Whether a dismissal is unfair is decided by the Commission, so don’t conclude alone — consult quickly.

Working Hours, Breaks & Holidays

The Labor Standards Act sets standards for working time and rest. The legal limit is 40 hours/week and 8 hours/day; by agreement you can extend up to 12 hours/week (52-hour-week principle including overtime). A break of 30+ minutes for a 4-hour shift and 1+ hour for an 8-hour shift must be given during work. Overtime, night, and holiday work beyond the limit earn premium pay, and a paid weekly holiday is given if you work all your scheduled days that week. It applies to foreigners equally regardless of nationality or visa.

This is general information and has no legal force. Labor and residence rules depend on your situation and policy — always verify with experts (Ministry of Employment and Labor ☎1350, a labor attorney) and official sources.