Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 92다39860

Wages (Back Pay Following Unfair Dismissal)임금

Decided1992. 12. 08. Court대법원Worker won
AI-generated English translation (summary, key points, decision summary and full text) for reference only — not an official translation and without legal effect. The Korean original below is authoritative.
AI Easy read — AI summary of this decision
AI-generated summary for reference only — the Korean original below is authoritative.

When a company unfairly dismisses (부당해고) an employee and that dismissal is later ruled invalid, the employee is entitled to claim the full amount of wages they would have earned had they continued working during the dismissal period. This includes overtime pay (시간외근로수당) and length-of-service allowance (근속수당), since the failure to work was due to the employer's fault, not the employee's.

Key takeaways
  • CaseIncident: A company unfairly dismissed an employee, who then sued to claim wages for the dismissal period.
  • OutcomeResult: The court ruled that since the unfair dismissal was invalid, the company must pay all wages the employee would have earned, including overtime pay and length-of-service allowance.
  • LessonLesson: If you are unfairly dismissed and the dismissal is later found invalid, you can claim not only reinstatement but also full back pay for the entire dismissal period.
Issues
  • Whether an employee can claim full back wages when a dismissal is ruled invalid
  • Whether overtime pay should be included in the back wages claim
  • Whether length-of-service allowance qualifies as part of ordinary wages (통상임금) for back pay purposes
Key reasoning

If a dismissal is invalid, the employment contract (근로계약) is legally deemed to have continued throughout the dismissal period. The employee's failure to actually perform work during that time was caused by the employer's wrongful act, not by the employee's own choice or fault. Therefore, the employee retains the right to claim the full wages they would have received had they kept working. This includes not only base salary but also overtime pay and length-of-service allowances, as these are considered part of what the employee would have normally earned.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

Where a dismissal is null and void, the employment relationship continues to be valid throughout that period, and since it is due to a cause attributable to the employer that the employee was unable to provide labor, the employee may claim payment of the entire wages that he or she would have received had he or she continued to work.

Full text (English, AI translation) 2,847 chars

[Plaintiff, Appellee]

[Defendant, Appellant] Young Chang Akki Jejo Co., Ltd. (영창악기제조주식회사)
[Judgment Below] Seoul High Court Judgment 92Na14337, decided July 22, 1992

[Order]

The appeal is dismissed.
The costs of the appeal are to be borne by the Defendant.

[Reasoning] The grounds of appeal are examined.
Where an employer's dismissal of an employee is null and void, the employment relationship has continued to be valid throughout that period, and it is the employer's fault that the employee was unable to provide labor; therefore, the employee may claim payment of the entire wages that he or she would have received had he or she continued working (see this Court's Decisions 81Da626, decided December 22, 1981; 87Daka2132, decided May 23, 1989; 91Da2566, decided May 14, 1991; 90Daka25277, decided June 28, 1991; 90Da18999, decided December 13, 1991; 90Da8673, decided March 31, 1992; 91Da22100, decided May 22, 1992, etc.).
Having found, on the basis of the evidence, that the Defendant company's employees worked overtime on a monthly average as stated in its holding from July 1, 1988 to March 20, 1991, and that the collective agreement concluded between the Defendant company and its labor union provided that extended work of up to 12 hours per week could be performed upon agreement between the parties, the judgment below determined that, had the Plaintiff not been dismissed, he would have worked overtime to the extent stated in its holding from July 1, 1988 to March 20, 1991, and would have worked approximately 12 hours of overtime per week from March 21, 1991 onward, and would have been expected to receive the corresponding allowance therefor; the judgment below then adopted the first instance judgment, which included such overtime allowance in calculating the wages that the Plaintiff failed to receive after his dismissal. In light of the record, the foregoing measures are properly upheld, and there is no illegality therein such as a misapprehension of legal principles, incomplete deliberation, or violation of the rules of evidence, as alleged.
Furthermore, the first instance judgment, as adopted by the judgment below, determined in its reasoning that the length-of-service allowance paid by the Defendant company to its employees is paid regularly and fixedly every month, and accordingly included it in the ordinary wages serving as the basis for calculating the overtime allowance; in light of the record, this determination is also properly upheld, and there is no illegality therein such as a misapprehension of legal principles, as alleged.
All of the arguments are without merit.
Therefore, the appeal is dismissed, and the costs of the appeal are assessed against the losing party. This judgment is rendered as set forth in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the Justices participating in the decision.

【판결요지】

해고처분이 무효인 경우에는 그 동안 근로계약관계가 유효하게 계속되고 있었는데도 불구하고 근로자가 사용자의 귀책사유로 말미암아 근로를 제공하지 못한 것이므로 근로자는 계속 근로하였을 경우에 받을 수 있는 임금 전부의 지급을 청구할 수 있다.

【참조조문】

민법 제538조 제1항, 근로기준법 제36조

【참조판례】

대법원 1991.12.13. 선고 90다18999 판결(공1992,497), 1992.3.31. 선고 90다8763 판결(공1992,1395)

대법원 1992.5.22. 선고 91다22100 판결(공1992,1959)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 1,223자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 피상고인】

【피고, 상고인】 영창악기제조주식회사

【원심판결】 서울고등법원 1992.7.22. 선고 92나14337 판결

【주 문】

상고를 기각한다.

상고비용은 피고의 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 상고이유를 본다.

사용자의 근로자에 대한 해고처분이 무효인 경우에는 그 동안 근로계약관계가 유효하게 계속되고 있었는데도 불구하고 근로자가 사용자의 귀책사유로 말미암아 근로를 제공하지 못한 것이므로 근로자는 계속 근로하였을 경우에 받을 수 있는 임금전부의 지급을 청구할 수 있다 할 것이다( 당원 1981.12.22. 선고 81다626 판결, 1989.5.23. 선고 87다카2132 판결, 1991. 5.14. 선고 91다2566 판결, 1991.6.28. 선고 90다카25277 판결, 1991.12.13. 선고 90다18999 판결, 1992.3.31. 선고 90다8673 판결, 1992.5.22. 선고 91다22100 판결 등 참조).

원심판결은 그 증거에 의하여 피고 회사의 근로자들이 1988.7.1.부터 1991.3.20.까지 월 평균 그 판시와 같은 시간외 근로를 하였고 피고 회사와 그 노동조합과의 사이에 체결된 단체협약에 당사자간의 합의에 의하여 1주일에 12시간 이내의 연장근로를 할 수 있도록 규정되어 있는 사실을 확정하고 나서 원고가 해고되지 않았더라면 1988.7.1.부터 1991.3.20.까지는 그 판시와 같은 정도의 시간외 근로를 하고 1991.3.21.부터는 1주일에 12시간 정도의 시간외 근로를 하여 그 수당을 지급받을 것이 예상된다고 판단한 다음 원고가 해고된 이후에 지급받지 못한 임금을 산정함에 있어 그 시간외 근로수당을 포함시킨 제1심판결을 인용하였는바, 기록에 비추어 위와 같은 조치는 옳게 수긍이 되고 거기에 지적하는 바와 같은 법리오해나 심리미진 또는 채증법칙위배의 위법이 없다.

또한 원심판결이 인용한 제1심판결이 그 이유에서 피고회사가 그 근로자에게 지급하는 근속수당은 매월 정기적, 고정적으로 지급되는 것이라고 판단하여 이를 시간외 근로수당의 산출기초가 되는 통상임금에 포함시킨 것도 기록에 비추어 옳게 수긍이 되고 거기에 지적하는 바와 같은 법리오해의 위법이 없다.

주장은 모두 이유없다.

그러므로 상고를 기각하고 상고비용은 패소자의 부담으로 하여 관여 법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

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