Former Kidsworks employees allege excessive overtime and low wages

Former employees of Kidsworks, the company representing creator Hey Jini (Kang Hye-jin), have alleged they faced low wages and overtime lasting until the last train. One former staff member claimed to have received industrial accident compensation for panic disorder after working up to 16 hours a day.

Controversy is mounting over the working environment at Kidsworks, the company representing kids' creator Hey Jini (Kang Hye-jin), as a series of allegations from former employees emerge. Following a previous claim by a former staff member that they were recognized for industrial accident compensation due to long working hours, another former employee has come forward alleging weekend work without compensatory time off, overtime that lasted until the last train departed, and low wages. Kidsworks has issued an official rebuttal, stating that some of the claims are untrue, setting the stage for a confrontation between the company's public image of bright kids' content and the reported reality of its workplace.

On the 27th, a post by an individual identified as "A," a former employee of Kidsworks, was uploaded to the online community Bobaedream. A stated that after seeing the previous employee's allegations, they decided it was necessary to share their own experiences. A claimed that even when working on weekends and holidays, compensatory time off was not properly provided, and it was taken for granted that employees would return to normal weekday shifts immediately after finishing weekend work.

According to A, inquiries made to the company regarding these issues did not result in any changes. A alleged that even when raising concerns to managers, the only response received was that they would "look into it," with no practical measures following. This has raised questions regarding whether holiday compensation and working hour management were properly handled, though these claims are based on A's personal experience and require further verification of the facts.

A specifically highlighted the discrepancy between the company's external image and the actual working environment. While the company was known through media to be a place without excessive overtime, A claimed that filming schedules often ran late, yet content upload deadlines had to be met. "There were cases where filming started just 30 minutes before leaving work, even though the upload was scheduled for the next morning," A claimed, adding that "it was common to work until the last train departed, rather than just staying an hour or two extra." The allegation suggests that the pressure to meet production deadlines was transferred to workers in the form of long working hours.

The situation following overtime was also described as difficult. A alleged that employees had to be mindful of the company's reaction even when they had to take taxis or eat meals because they had missed the last train. A wrote that permission had to be sought every time a taxi was used, and that comments such as "You've eaten, so you should work," "It seems like you're staying late on purpose," or "You're taking too many taxis lately" were made. The claim suggests that not only the long hours but also the associated transportation and meal costs acted as a source of pressure and scrutiny for employees.

Dissatisfaction regarding wages and the resignation process was also voiced. A stated that the employment contract was signed at the minimum wage level, and subsequent annual salary negotiations resulted in increases only slightly above the legal minimum wage increase. Upon expressing the intention to resign, A claimed to have heard remarks such as, "It will be difficult to find employment elsewhere with this level of experience," and "You won't receive this kind of welfare anywhere else." A further explained that they were required to work for more than three months for handover purposes and were even asked to extend their working period depending on the situation.

This controversy intensified after another former employee, B, revealed that they had been recognized for an industrial accident after suffering from panic disorder due to long working hours. B claimed to have worked up to 16 hours a day with an annual salary of approximately 20 million won, including work on weekends and holidays. B stated that during the industrial accident application process, the company submitted an opinion denying the connection between the work and the illness, and that an option was presented to receive a monetary payment instead of applying for industrial accident compensation.

As the controversy grew, Kidsworks released an official statement through Hey Jini's social media and YouTube community on the 27th. The company stated, "Regardless of the facts, we feel deeply sorry and regretful that a former colleague lost their health and went through a difficult time." While expressing regret over the former employee's health issues, the company clarified its position that some of the details released by B are not true.

Kidsworks also provided an explanation regarding B's employment, resignation, and wage payments. The company stated that B worked from September 2017 to December 2018, took a leave of absence, and then resigned in May 2019 of their own volition. Regarding wages, the company claimed that salaries were paid according to the wage system at the time of joining, and contrary to what has been reported, the annual salary was increased by 25%, with separate bonuses paid during the leave of absence.

The company also denied the allegation that it obstructed the industrial accident application. Kidsworks explained that after B expressed the intent to apply for industrial accident compensation, the company respected that intent by introducing an external certified labor attorney and helping B receive direct consultation. The company added, "We understand that different memories and perceptions of the situation at that time may exist," but emphasized that some of the content spreading online differs from the facts confirmed by the company.

Currently, the situation remains a confrontation between the allegations of former employees and the rebuttals from the company. As issues such as long working hours, holiday work, wages, health deterioration, and the industrial accident application process are directly related to workers' rights, it is difficult to conclude the full facts based on only one side's claims. However, as the controversy has expanded with multiple former employees raising issues regarding the working environment, the process of verifying the facts through specific evidence and objective data has become important.

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