Family members working in a family business also have the right to be compensated for an occupational hazard, according to a case ruled on by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Apr. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — Family members working in a family business also have the right to be compensated for an occupational hazard, according to a case ruled on by the Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service (COMWEL) Busan Agency.
The COMWEL said on April 22 that a man who has been working in a laundry business run by his father filed a request for compensation after breaking his arm while at work.
The Busan Agency initially refused to recognize his broken arm as an occupational accident, as it did not acknowledge the man as an employee but rather as a helper of the family business.
However, the agency’s panel division eventually recognized the man as an employee of the business, as he worked similar hours to other normal workers.
He was also insured under Korea’s four major social security and insurance programs, and had a record of paying income taxes through the laundry business.
In a previous case, the Busan Agency recognized a church operator’s injured back caused by an accident from another work place, which was irrelevant to the church business, as an occupational accident, due to the fact that the operator had almost no profit at all from the church.
By J. W. Choi (summerchoi@koreabizwire.com)
