As the aging society deepens, the Senior Long-Term Care Insurance system has become an essential care safety net in our society. The core of this system is the long-term care workers who provide quality services to the elderly. However, long-term care workers, including care workers, have faced many grievances due to poor working conditions and unfair treatment. To address these issues, the 「Senior Long-Term Care Insurance Act」 and its enforcement ordinance were amended, and new changes began on July 3, 2024. This revision focuses on protecting the rights and interests of long-term care workers and improving the quality of service.
The revised 「Enforcement Ordinance of the Senior Long-Term Care Insurance Act」 specifies the concrete procedures for resolving the grievances of long-term care workers. Now, if a long-term care worker experiences a grievance during work, they can first request resolution from the head of their affiliated institution. If the head of the institution does not resolve the issue or does not take appropriate measures, detailed procedures have been established to allow them to request correction for unresolved grievances from the head of the competent local government. This provides a legal basis for care workers to more actively assert and protect their rights when they are in unfair situations. In addition, the state and local governments are allowed to establish and operate Long-Term Care Worker Support Centers to provide consultation and support for the violation of long-term care workers' rights, and to provide education support for capacity building.
One of the important parts of this law revision is the establishment of criteria for imposing fines on long-term care institutions that, without justifiable reason, do not take necessary measures such as investigation, or do not comply with correction orders, even after receiving a request to resolve grievances from long-term care workers. Institutions that do not resolve grievances can be fined up to 5 million won. This is expected to be an effective means of strengthening the responsibility of institutions and forcing them not to neglect the grievances of care workers. The criteria for imposing fines may be aggravated depending on the number of violations, and the specific details are specified in 「Enforcement Ordinance of the Senior Long-Term Care Insurance Act」 [Attachment 3].
If the grievances of long-term care workers are effectively resolved and working conditions are improved, this will lead to an improvement in the quality of service. This is because when care workers work in a stable and respected environment, they can provide better care to the elderly. Starting in June 2025, the institutional designation renewal system for long-term care institutions will be implemented in earnest, and the management of service quality and the improvement of operational capabilities of institutions will be further emphasized. In addition, efforts to improve the system, such as strengthening the staffing standards for care workers, are continuing. These changes show that the long-term care system is moving towards considering not only providing care, but also the quality of life of those who provide care.
In 2025, various changes and improvements will be promoted throughout the long-term care system. Along with strengthening the staffing standards for care workers, efforts to improve the treatment of care workers, such as strengthening the visit standards for family care social workers and increasing family care expenses, and improving the quality of service will continue. In addition, with the National Assembly's inspection pointing out problems in the inadequate management of elder abuse within long-term care institutions, the need to strengthen the grade evaluation and installation standards is also being raised, and the creation of a more transparent and safe care environment is expected in the future. These institutional supplements will boost the morale of long-term care workers and ultimately contribute to the elderly living a dignified old age.
This revision of the 「Senior Long-Term Care Insurance Act」 has strengthened the protection of the rights and interests of care workers by clarifying the grievance resolution procedures for long-term care workers and establishing criteria for imposing fines on institutions that do not resolve grievances. This is an important step forward in improving the quality of long-term care services and creating an environment where care workers can work with pride. With continuous institutional improvements and attention in the future, we must create a Republic of Korea where long-term care workers are respected and the elderly are happy.
A1: First, you must request resolution of the grievance from the head of the long-term care institution to which you belong.
A2: If the head of the institution does not resolve the grievance, you can request correction for the unresolved grievance from the head of the competent local government.
A3: Institutions that do not take necessary measures without justifiable reason regarding the request for grievance resolution from long-term care workers can be fined up to 5 million won.
A4: The state and local governments provide consultation and support for rights violations, education, and health management projects through the Long-Term Care Worker Support Center.
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