As ‘Long term care insurance for elders’ system has implemented since July 1st, 2008, care helpers were put into work. In this process, the NHRCK noticed that care helpers are exposed to poor environment and are suffering from low wage, comprehensive wage, long working hours, and exposal to industrial accidents. Thus the NHRCK recommended enhancing policies regarding laborer’s human rights as following.
1. For the Minister of Health and Welfare, △ prevent abuse of comprehensive wage system by stating the basic wage; extra wage for extension, night, and holiday work; reimburse actual expenses; and vacation information on the labor contract, △ establish guideline as to officially announce the amount of labor expenses out of the total expenses for care services, △ establish standardized arrangement of labor forces while considering shift, vacation, and rest hours, △ assign night-time nurses for the long-term care institution as well, △ put preventive measures against sexual harassment reflection of working condition on the evaluation index for long-term care institution,
2. For the minister of employment and labor and heads of each local government, thoroughly manage and oversee each worker,
3. For the chairperson of the National Health Insurance Corp., establish preventative measures to protect workers from work-related diseases such as musculoskeletal system disorder, service recipient’ physical and verbal abuses, and sexual harassment.
The NHRCK will continue monitor the implementation of recommendations to improve certain policies in order to secure the effectiveness and will pour endeavors to enhance human rights of service providers like care helpers.
