Workplace Gapjil 119 “Only half are recognized as industrial accidents… We need to expand the scope of recognition”
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(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Bo-Ram Oh = Last year, the number of applications for occupational accidents related to cases where workers died due to extreme choices was found to have nearly doubled compared to the previous year.
According to data submitted by Rep. Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party and the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service on the 19th, the total number of applications for industrial accidents due to death (suicide) from mental illness in 2021 was identified as 158. This is an 81.6% (71 cases) increase from the previous year in 2020 (87 cases).
It is the first time since 2013 when statistics began to be compiled that the number of related industrial accident applications exceeded 100. 53 cases in 2013, 47 cases in 2014, 59 cases in 2015, 58 cases in 2016, 77 cases in 2017, 95 cases in 2018, 72 cases in 2019, and 87 cases in 2020. with over 100 cases.
In addition, there were 26 cases of request for death due to mental illness by public officials who were not regular employees.
“Korea has the highest suicide rate among OECD countries, and half of those who commit suicide are office workers,” said Park Seong-woo, a labor attorney at work Gapjil119.
Workplace Gapjil 119, however, pointed out that the recognition rate for industrial accidents is rather low compared to the number of applications for mental illness deaths.
Of the 158 cases of mental illness deaths applied for industrial accidents last year, 88 cases (55.7%) were recognized as industrial accidents, a decrease of 14.4 percentage points from 2020 (61 cases, 70.1%).
Relevant industrial accident recognition rates were 37.7% in 2013, 29.8% in 2014, 37.3% in 2015, 34.5% in 2016, 57.1% in 2017, 80.0% in 2018, and 65.3% in 2019. It’s been 4 years.
In July 2019, the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act established a new regulation that recognizes diseases caused by stress caused by workplace harassment as ‘occupational diseases’.
However, a causal relationship between workplace harassment and mental illness can be proven to be recognized as an occupational accident.
Workplace Gapjil 119 said, “It’s not easy to get an industrial accident recognition because there are cases where people don’t tell people about bullying at work or they don’t get diagnosed by a mental hospital, and there are many attempts by others to cover up the bullying.” He argued that “the burden of proof of victims should be eased, the period for recognition of occupational accidents should be shortened, and the scope of recognition should be broadened by enumerating various mental disorders in the law.”
rambo@yna.co.kr
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2022/06/19 12:00 Send
