Former Hey Jini employee breaks silence, alleging discrepancy between TV persona and workplace reality

A former colleague of Hey Jini, identified as Employee A, has broken a long silence to make further allegations. A claimed that while they once considered Hey Jini a friend and intended to keep their experiences at the company private, seeing her appearance on the KBS2 variety program "Boss in the Mirror" made it difficult to remain silent. The motivation for the disclosure was the perceived gap between the image of a horizontal and considerate manager shown on the broadcast and the workplace experience A described.

In an interview on the YouTube channel "Respect Lee Jin-ho" released on the 29th, A expressed a deep sense of betrayal during the process of leaving the company. Despite this, A stated they had attempted to bury the issues internally because the individual was once a friend, even going as far as unfollowing Hey Jini's social media accounts to maintain distance.

The turning point for A was seeing the broadcast. On "Boss in the Mirror," Hey Jini appeared as the youngest boss and stated, "I try hard to be horizontal when working." A claimed to be shocked that the timing of the broadcast coincided with their own most difficult period. A expressed that while they were experiencing moments of intense suffering, seeing Hey Jini on television acting as if she were a good boss led to the thought, "This isn't right." A added that one of the employees appearing on the broadcast was someone who had worked overtime with them.

The interview also raised new claims regarding unpaid leave. A alleged that they experienced repeated seizure symptoms at the company and was told by Hey Jini that such behavior was not good for other employees to see. A further claimed that in mid-December 2018, the company was the one to first propose unpaid leave.

This contradicts the position previously released by Kidsworks. The company stated they had continuously requested that A take sufficient rest through vacations and leaves, suggesting that if the work was a burden to A's health, they could reduce working hours or suspend work schedules.As both the individual and the company have presented different memories and interpretations of the same situation, the circumstances under which the leave was decided have become a major point of contention.

The dispute over salary increase rates also continues. On the 27th, Kidsworks stated in an official position that A's salary had been increased by 25%. However, A countered that the starting salary was 20 million won and was only adjusted once to 21 million won, making the actual increase 5%. Following the release of a wage income tax withholding receipt, A explained in the interview that after moving closer to the company and paying monthly rent, living became difficult. A also claimed that Hey Jini had offered to raise the salary after seeing this situation.

Explanations regarding bonus payments also diverge. Kidsworks stated that A received separate bonuses even during the leave of absence, but A argued that this was not money provided specifically to them, but rather the year-end bonus paid to all employees every year. Regarding remote work, the company explained that they allowed for the adjustment of working hours or the choice of remote work depending on the situation, but A countered that they never actually worked remotely during their period of employment.

The most acute point of conflict concerns the application for industrial accident compensation. Kidsworks stated they did not obstruct A's application and even introduced a certified labor attorney and guided the application process. Conversely, A claimed the company submitted an opinion to the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service denying the connection between the work and the illness. As the company's claim of supporting the application clashes directly with A's claim that they denied work-relatedness, attention is focused on what position the company actually conveyed at the time.

A stated that their health has improved compared to the past. In an official position, Kidsworks expressed, "Regardless of the facts, we are sincerely sorry and regretful" regarding A's loss of health and difficult times. However, the company countered that different memories and perceptions of the situation may exist, and that some content spreading online differs from the facts confirmed by the company.

The company also stated that if A wishes, they are willing to listen to the story directly or through a representative and will discuss if there is anything the company needs to do. This controversy, resurfacing after a long time, is evolving beyond a simple personal conflict into an issue involving the workplace environment, the right to health, and the responsibilities between employer and employee. In particular, as the manager's image imprinted on the public through the broadcast faces off against the experiences reported by the former employee, attention is focused on which objective data and facts will confirm the claims of both sides.

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