It was reported on the 17th that domestic medical personnel are pushing for labor negotiations with hospitals to demand emotional labor allowances. Recently, medical personnel have frequently faced verbal abuse and violence from patients in hospitals. They argue that they need compensation because they are engaging in emotional labor to suppress their feelings during these times.
◇Negotiating emotional labor allowances in labor negotiations
The Korea Health and Medical Workers' Union (Health Care Union) proposed during industry-wide labor negotiations to provide an emotional labor allowance of 50,000 won per month to nurses, medical technicians, and administrative staff. This is in response to the frequent expression of pain, anxiety, and anger by patients in hospitals, indicating that emotional labor is being performed in dealing with them.
It is reported that Korea University Medical Center is inclined to find ways to reduce emotional consumption and determine how to respond specifically when issues arise. A representative from Korea University Medical Center noted, "It is true that discussions on providing emotional allowances are being held," adding, "Nothing has been decided yet."
Hospitals have recognized the emotional labor of their staff and have prepared various response measures. Korea University Medical Center is already providing psychological counseling for its employees. There are also programs to manage stress, such as creating perfumes or experiencing barista work every month.
Busan National University Hospital provides emotional labor leave of four days per year to nurses, medical technicians, and administrative staff. This was agreed upon by labor and management in 2017 and has been implemented since 2018. Continued emotional labor can cause psychological pressure, leading to physical and mental issues. The goal is to enhance services for patients while allowing time for employees to recharge in such situations. A representative from Busan National University Hospital stated, "New or returning staff may have different numbers of emotional labor leave days."
Seoul Medical Center, under the jurisdiction of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, operates an emotional labor protection committee involving psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. This is a measure taken after a nurse made an extreme choice due to workplace harassment (taewoom) in January 2019. Seoul Medical Center provides one-on-one psychological assessments and counseling for its employees.
◇Overseas security checks and metal detectors
The issue of emotional labor is also relevant for doctors. According to a study titled "A Study on Emotional Labor of Korean Doctors" published by the Korean Medical Association Medical Policy Research Institute in 2022, domestic doctors rated their emotional labor at an average of 70.03 points out of 100. This result comes from a survey of 5,563 doctors.
By specialty, psychiatry (75.77 points) and rehabilitation medicine (73.31 points) showed higher emotional labor scores, while emergency medicine (66.7 points) showed relatively lower scores. This is attributed to longer consultation hours and more interactions with patients in psychiatry and rehabilitation medicine, while emergency departments spend less time with patients.
Emotional labor can lead not only to mental stress but also to potential incidents of violence. In December 2018, an incident occurred where Professor Lim Se-won of Gangbuk Samsung Hospital was stabbed to death by a patient he was treating. To prevent such incidents, the "Lim Se-won Act" was established the following year, requiring hospitals with over 100 beds to deploy dedicated security personnel. Emergency alarm systems (panic buttons) connected to the relevant police station must also be installed.
Overseas, strong policies are being implemented to protect medical personnel. According to a report titled "Current Situation and Improvement Tasks for Violence Management of Medical Institution Workers" published by the National Assembly Research Service in 2019, the U.S. government has issued guidelines for medical institutions to install bulletproof glass reception desks and metal detectors. The report suggested that, "Because the potential risk of violence is high, the overall medical environment, including emergency rooms, examination rooms, waiting areas, and consultation rooms, should be improved," additionally recommending consideration for the installation of metal detectors and security checkpoints.