Weak Laws and Social Problems A Philosophical Reflection on Justice

The ancient philosopher Plato once said, “Justice is giving each person their due.” In his work The Republic, he emphasized that the law must be a tool to realize justice and that if the law does not function properly, society will inevitably descend into chaos. In contrast, modern philosopher John Rawls argued in his Theory of Justice that “fair laws and institutions should protect the vulnerable in society.” In other words, when the law is weak, the strong grow stronger, and the weak face even more difficult circumstances.

These philosophical discussions are not just theoretical but manifest in reality. In Korean society, when the law does not function properly or lacks enforcement power, it is often the economically and socially vulnerable who bear the greatest consequences. A prime example of this is the issue of unpaid weekly allowances (or “weekly holiday pay”) for part-time convenience store workers. Many workers, especially those in part-time positions, are unsure of how to calculate their rights. For instance, knowing how to calculate 편의점 주휴수당 계산 is vital to ensuring they are paid correctly, yet many face challenges in understanding this complex process.

Part-Time Convenience Store Workers and the Weekly Allowance Issue

According to South Korea’s Labor Standards Act, workers who work more than 15 hours a week are entitled to weekly holiday pay. Weekly holiday pay is a paid day off for workers who have completed the required weekly working hours, and it is a legally guaranteed right. However, in practice, many businesses fail to provide this payment properly.

Particularly, part-time convenience store workers frequently encounter this issue. Some store owners claim that “paying weekly holiday pay creates a huge labor cost burden” and, as a result, either do not pay it or avoid including it in the employment contract. There are also cases where the minimum wage is not properly paid, and some businesses retaliate by firing part-time workers or adjusting their working hours to prevent them from qualifying for weekly holiday pay.

The problem is that despite the widespread nature of these illegal practices, legal actions to correct them are insufficient. Even when workers report the failure to pay weekly holiday pay, the penalties are often weak, and there are significant practical difficulties for workers who might face retaliation. As a result, many part-time workers choose to forgo their rights. For those seeking to verify whether their employer is paying correctly, a helpful tool is the website 주휴주유, where you can check if your weekly holiday pay is being paid according to the law.

Solution: Enhancing the Effectiveness of the Law

If laws exist but are not effectively enforced, they become powerless regulations that fail to protect society’s vulnerable. To address the issue of unpaid weekly holiday pay for part-time workers, the following legal and institutional improvements are necessary:

Stronger Legal Enforcement and Penalties

Stronger penalties for business owners who violate the law are essential. Currently, penalties for failing to pay weekly holiday pay are relatively mild, which leads many business owners to ignore the law. To prevent this, higher fines and administrative sanctions should be imposed when violations are detected.

Strengthening Labor Inspections and Simplifying Reporting Procedures

Labor inspectors should increase on-site checks, and the process for reporting unpaid weekly holiday pay should be simplified, so part-time workers can more easily assert their rights. It is especially important to enhance anonymous reporting systems to protect whistleblowers from potential retaliation.

Mandatory Legal Education for Employers

Business owners, including convenience store owners, should be required to undergo regular training on labor laws. Since many employers are unaware of the legal obligations related to labor contracts and weekly holiday pay, providing regular training on these topics is crucial.

Improving Social Awareness

Labor rights cannot be protected solely by law; societal awareness needs to change as well. It must be recognized that weekly holiday pay is a legitimate part of wages that must be paid. There needs to be a broader societal understanding that failing to provide it is a clear violation of the law.

Conclusion: Strong Laws Lead to the Realization of Justice

When laws are weak, it is the socially vulnerable who suffer the most. As philosophers have emphasized, law is ultimately a tool for realizing justice in society, and when this tool fails, inequality and injustice are exacerbated.

The issue of unpaid weekly holiday pay for part-time convenience store workers is not merely an isolated case but rather an example of a structural problem that arises when the effectiveness of the law is weak. To resolve this issue, it is not enough to simply have legal provisions; strong enforcement, institutional reform, and societal awareness changes must occur together. Only when the law becomes stronger can social justice be truly realized.