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Conditions for Granting Hiring Bonus Points to Single-Parent Families Require Two Years from the Start of the Benefit: Discrimination
Recommendation to the Chairperson of the Foundation to Revise the Regulations -
□ On December 18, 2024, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) recommended that the chairperson of the ○○○○ Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “the respondent”) revise the relevant regulations to ensure that applicants under the Single-Parent Family Support Act are not subjected to discriminatory conditions when hiring bonus points are granted.
□ The complainant, who took the civil service recruitment exam for the ○○○○ Foundation, filed a complaint with the NHRCK. They argued that imposing a condition requiring two years to have passed since the start of the benefit for applicants eligible under the Single-Parent Family Support Act constituted discrimination, especially since no such condition applied to other candidates eligible for similar benefits.
□ In response, the respondent explained that the criteria for awarding additional points were established in accordance with the Guidelines on the Management of Public Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Organizations and the Decree on Public Officials Appointment Examinations. Article 2 of the Decree on Public Officials Appointment Examinations provides for separate exams to promote the hiring of persons with disabilities and individuals from low-income groups. To prevent abuse of temporary eligibility and ensure fair exam administration, the respondent stated that low-income groups must have continuously met the eligibility criteria for at least two years.
□ The NHRCK’s Committee on Discrimination Remedy (chaired by Standing Commissioner Nam Kyusun) reviewed the case and made the following observations:
△Bereavement or long-term imprisonment of a spouse—common reasons for forming a single-parent family—cannot be attributed to the individual’s intent, making the two-year requirement unjustified.
△Sufficient screening already occurs when designating beneficiaries under the Single-Parent Family Support Act, negating the need for an additional waiting period.
△Article 3 of the Single-Parent Family Support Act requires single parents and their children to make the most of their assets and labor capacity to strive for independence and improve their livelihoods.
△Since eligibility is determined based on household income, employment support is vital to enhance welfare, reduce reliance on social security, and promote the self-sufficiency of single-parent families.
The two-year waiting period unjustly assumes misconduct by the applicant, reinforcing negative stereotypes about single-parent families. This condition may discourage job hunting, contrary to the purpose of employment support programs.
□ Based on these findings, the NHRCK concluded that the two-year waiting period constitutes discrimination and recommended that the respondent revise the regulations governing hiring bonus points to remove this requirement.
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