Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 90다카24496

Wages (임금) Case임금

Decided1990. 12. 21. Court대법원Employer largely won; the appeal was partially dismissed and the remainder was rejected, meaning the lower court's ruling favorable to the employer's position on average wage calculation was upheld.
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.

This Supreme Court precedent established that when an employee retires without using accrued annual paid leave, the annual leave allowance (연차유급휴가수당) is not included in the calculation of average wage (평균임금) for severance pay (퇴직금) purposes unless it falls within the three-month period immediately preceding retirement. The Court also ruled that any working conditions falling below the standards set by the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) are void, regardless of whether they were agreed upon through a collective bargaining agreement or with employee consent. Additionally, the Court held that the right to claim monthly paid leave allowance (월차유급휴가수당) does not automatically expire after one year.

Key takeaways
  • CaseAn employee sought to have unused annual leave allowance included in severance pay calculations and also claimed unpaid monthly leave allowance upon retirement.
  • OutcomeThe Court ruled that annual leave allowance is excluded from average wage calculations unless paid within the three months before retirement, and confirmed that conditions falling below Labor Standards Act minimums are void even with collective agreement.
  • LessonEmployers and workers should verify the timing of annual leave allowance payments when calculating severance pay, and understand that any agreement providing conditions worse than the Labor Standards Act's minimum standards has no legal effect.
Issues
  • Whether the annual paid leave allowance should be included in the average wage calculation for severance pay
  • Whether working conditions that fall below the Labor Standards Act are valid if agreed upon through collective bargaining or employee consent
  • Whether the right to claim monthly paid leave allowance is subject to a one-year statute of limitations
  • Whether the appellant had standing to appeal (interest in appeal)
Key reasoning

The annual leave allowance is compensation for work performed in the year prior to retirement, and under Korean labor law, only wages paid within the three-month period immediately before retirement are included in the average wage calculation used for severance pay. Since the annual leave allowance is typically tied to the prior year's work rather than the final three months, it generally falls outside this calculation period and is thus excluded from average wage. The Court further reasoned that the Labor Standards Act sets mandatory minimum standards, so any employment condition that falls below these standards is automatically void—collective bargaining agreements or individual employee consent cannot override this protection. This principle ensures that statutory labor protections cannot be waived or diminished through private agreement.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] Where only the defendant appeals against the judgment of the first instance, and the plaintiff neither appeals nor files an incidental appeal, but thereafter, upon the court below dismissing the defendant's appeal, the plaintiff files a final appeal, such final appeal by the plaintiff falls under a case lacking interest in appeal and is thus unlawful, and this defect cannot be cured; therefore, without any need to examine the grounds of the plaintiff's final appeal, the plaintiff's final appeal must be dismissed.

[2] Even if a worker retires without using the annual paid leave that had become fixed as a right to be granted by reason of the worker's full attendance or attendance of 90% or more during the year preceding retirement, thereby giving rise to a claim for payment of wages in lieu of annual paid leave for that period, such payment is made as compensation for labor rendered during "the one year preceding retirement," which was the cause giving rise to the annual paid leave; therefore, unless a part of "the one year preceding retirement," which was the cause giving rise to the annual paid leave, falls within the three-month period preceding the date of retirement that constitutes the period for calculating average wages, the wages in lieu of annual paid leave cannot be included in the average wages that serve as the basis for calculating retirement allowances.

[3] A labor contract that provides for working conditions falling short of the standards set forth in the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) is invalid only with respect to that portion, and such invalidity cannot be cured merely because the contract was made pursuant to a collective agreement or was approved by the workers.

[4] Under Article 47 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), monthly paid leave may be used at the free will of the worker only within one year; however, this does not mean that the worker's right to claim payment of wages for monthly paid leave, which arises as compensation for having worked instead of using the monthly paid leave, is extinguished immediately upon the lapse of one year.

Full text (English, AI translation) 5,784 chars

[Parties]

【Plaintiffs, Appellants and Appellees】 Plaintiff 1 and 7 others
【Defendant, Appellant and Appellee】 Republic of Korea
【Judgment Below】 Seoul High Court Decision 90Na17295, decided June 29, 1990

[Order]

The appeal of Plaintiff 3 is dismissed.

The appeals of the remaining plaintiffs, excluding Plaintiff 3, and the appeal of the Defendant are all dismissed.

The costs of appeal shall be borne by each appellant.

[Reasoning]

1. As to the appeal of Plaintiff 3, the Court renders judgment ex officio.

According to the record, the judgment of the first instance partially upheld the said plaintiff's claims for overtime pay and other allowances and retirement pay; only the Defendant appealed, while the said plaintiff neither filed an appeal nor an incidental appeal, but subsequently filed an appeal when the judgment below dismissed the Defendant's appeal against him. In such a case, the said plaintiff's appeal falls under a case lacking interest in appeal and is therefore unlawful (see this Court's Decisions 67Da2270, decided November 28, 1967; 76Da1518, decided February 22, 1977; 87Daka414, 415, decided November 22, 1988, etc.), and since this defect cannot be cured, it is unnecessary to examine the grounds of appeal of the said plaintiff, and his appeal must be dismissed.

2. As to the grounds of appeal of the remaining plaintiffs excluding Plaintiff 3.

According to Articles 18 and 19 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), it is clear that "average wage," which serves as the basis for calculating retirement pay under Article 28 of the same Act, means the amount obtained by dividing the total amount of wages paid as consideration for work to the retiring employee during the three months preceding the date of retirement by the total number of days in that period. Meanwhile, the annual paid leave system under Article 48 of the same Act refers to paid leave that an employer must grant, at a time requested by the employee, within the following one year, to an employee who has worked without absence for one year or has attended work at least 90% of the time. Therefore, even if a right to claim annual paid leave work allowance arises because the employee retires without using the annual paid leave that had become fixed as a right to be granted due to the employee's full attendance or 90% or more attendance in the year preceding retirement, such allowance is paid as consideration for work performed during "the one year preceding the year of retirement," which is the cause giving rise to the annual paid leave, and cannot be regarded as payment for work performed in "the year of retirement" in which the employee became entitled to claim the annual paid leave. Accordingly, unless part of "the one year preceding the year of retirement," which is the cause giving rise to the annual paid leave, falls within the three months preceding the date of retirement, the annual paid leave work allowance cannot be included in the average wage that serves as the basis for calculating retirement pay (see this Court's Decision 69Da621, decided July 8, 1969).

In the same vein, the court below did not err in calculating the average wage, which is the basis for calculating the retirement pay of the said plaintiffs, by not including the annual paid leave work allowance that arose because the said plaintiffs did not use the annual paid leave that had become fixed due to their full attendance in 1987, the year preceding their retirement on October 4, 1988. The argument criticizing the judgment below on a contrary view is without merit.

3. As to the grounds of appeal of the Defendant's litigation representative.

A. According to the relevant evidence and the record, it cannot be said that the court below, in the process of finding the hours during which the plaintiffs performed overtime, night, and holiday work and the hours during which Plaintiff 5 performed night work, erred by violating the rules of evidence and making erroneous factual findings, as argued in the grounds of appeal. Therefore, the argument criticizing the finalized findings of the judgment below is without merit.

B. An employment contract that provides for working conditions falling short of the standards set forth in the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) is invalid only with respect to that portion (Article 20 of the Labor Standards Act), and working conditions that fall short of the standards prescribed by the Labor Standards Act cannot be deemed valid merely because they are based on a collective agreement or have been approved by the employees, as argued in the grounds of appeal. Therefore, the argument criticizing the judgment below on a contrary view is also without merit.

C. Under Article 47 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), monthly paid leave may, as argued in the grounds of appeal, be used at the employee's own discretion only within one year; however, this does not mean that the right to claim the monthly paid leave work allowance, which an employee acquires as consideration for working without using the monthly paid leave, is automatically extinguished upon the passage of one year (see this Court's Decisions 72Da1758, decided November 28, 1972; 73Da305, decided September 25, 1973; 79Da2322, decided May 13, 1980, etc.). Therefore, the argument criticizing the judgment below on a contrary view is also without merit.

4. Accordingly, the appeal of Plaintiff 3 is dismissed, and the appeals of the remaining plaintiffs and of the Defendant are all dismissed, with the costs of appeal to be borne by each losing appellant. The Justices participating in this decision are unanimous in the above opinion, and it is so ordered as stated in the Order.

Justice Lee Jae-seong (Presiding Justice), Park Woo-dong, Yoon Young-cheol, Kim Yong-jun

【판결요지】

가. 제1심판결에 대하여 피고만이 항소하고 원고는 항소나 부대항소를 하지 않고 있다가 원심판결이 피고의 항소를 기각하자 원고가 상고한 경우 원고의 상고는 상고의 이익이 없는 때에 해당하여 부적법한 것으로서 그 흠결을 보정할 수 없는 것이므로 원고의 상고이유에 대하여는 판단할 필요도 없이 원고의 상고를 각하할 수 밖에 없다.

나. 근로자가 퇴직하기 전 해에 개근하거나 9할 이상 출근함으로써 받을 것으로 확정된 연차 유급휴가를 사용하지 아니한 채 퇴직함으로 말미암아 그 기간에 대한 연차유급휴가근로수당지급청구권이 발생하였다고 하더라도 이는 위와 같은 연차유급휴가를 받게 된 원인이 된 "퇴직하기 전 해 1년간"의 근로의 대상으로 지급되는 것이기 때문에 연차유급휴가를 받게 된 원인이 된 "퇴직하기 전 해 1년간"의 일부가 평균임금 산정기간인 퇴직한 날 이전 3월간 내에 포함되지 아니하는 한 연차유급휴가근로수당은 퇴직금의 산출기준이 되는 평균임금에 포함시킬 수 없다.

다. 근로기준법에 정한 기준에 달하지 못하는 근로조건을 정한 근로계약은 그 부분에 한하여 무효이므로 그것이 단체협약에 의한 것이라거나 근로자들의 승인을 받은 것이라고 하여 유효로 볼 수 없다.

라. 근로기준법 제47조에 의하면 월차유급휴가는 근로자의 자유의사로 1년간에 한하여 사용할 수 있는 것이지만 그렇다고 하여 근로자가 월차유급휴가를 사용하지 아니하고 근로한 대가로 받게 되는 월차유급휴가근로수당의 지급청구권도 1년이 지나면 바로 소멸하는 것이라고는 볼 수 없다.

【참조조문】

가.민사소송법 제395조, 제383조 / 나. 근로기준법 제19조, 제28조, 제48조 / 다. 같은 법 제20조 / 라. 같은 법 제41조, 제47조

【참조판례】

가. 대법원 1967.11.28. 선고 67다2270 판결, 1977.2.22. 선고 76다1518 판결, 1988.11.22. 선고 87다카414,415 판결(공1969,14) / 나. 대법원 1969.7.8. 선고 69다621 판결(집17②민,303) / 라. 대법원 1972.11.28. 선고 72다1758 판결(집20③민,149), 1973.9.25. 선고 73다305 판결, 1980.5.13. 선고 79다2322 판결(공1980,12851)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 2,249자 · 펼쳐 보기

【원고, 상고인 겸 피상고인】 원고 1 외 7인

【피고, 상고인 겸 피상고인】 대한민국

【원심판결】 서울고등법원 1990.6.29. 선고 90나17295 판결

【주 문】

원고 3의 상고를 각하한다.

원고 3을 제외한 나머지 원고들의 상고와 피고의 상고를 모두 기각한다.

상고비용은 상고인들 각자의 부담으로 한다.

【이 유】 1. 원고 3의 상고에 대하여 직권으로 판단한다.

기록에 의하면 제1심판결이 위 원고의 시간외근로수당 등 제수당 및 퇴직금에 관한 청구를 일부씩 인용하였는데, 피고만이 항소하고 위 원고는 항소나 부대항소를 하지 않고 있다가 원심판결이 피고의 위 원고에 대한 항소를 기각하자 위 원고가 상고를 하였음을 알 수 있는바, 이와 같은 경우에 위 원고의 상고는 상고의 이익이 없는 때에 해당하여 부적법한 것으로서(당원 1967.11.28. 선고 67다2270 판결; 1977.2.22. 선고 76다1518 판결; 1988.11.22. 선고 87다카414, 415 판결 등 참조), 그 흠결이 보정할 수 없는 것이므로, 위 원고의 상고이유에 대하여는 판단할 필요도 없이 위 원고의 상고를 각하할 수 밖에 없다.

2. 원고 3을 제외한 나머지 원고들의 상고이유에 대하여 판단한다.

근로기준법 제18조와 제19조에 의하면 같은 법 제28조 소정의 퇴직금의 산출기준이 되는 "평균임금"은 퇴직하는 근로자에 대하여 퇴직한 날 이전 3월간에 그 근로의 대상으로 지급된 임금의 총액을 그 기간의 총일수로 제한 금액을 말하는 것임이 명백하고, 한편 같은 법 제48조 소정의 연차유급휴가 제도는 사용자가 1년간 개근하거나 9할이상 출근한 근로자에 대하여 다음 해 1년 사이에 근로자의 청구가 있는 시기에 주어야 하는 유급휴가를 말하는 것이므로, 근로자가 퇴직하기 전 해에 개근하거나 9할 이상 출근함으로써 받을 것으로 확정된 연차유급휴가를 사용하지 아니한 채 퇴직함으로 말미암아, 그 기간에 대한 연차유급휴가근로수당지급청구권이 발생하였다고 하더라도, 이는 위와 같은 연차유급휴가를 받게 된 원인이 된 "퇴직하기 전 해 1년간" 근로의 대상으로 지급되는 것이지, 연차유급휴가를 청구할 수 있게 된 "퇴직하는 그 해"의 근로에 대한 대가로 지급되는 것이라고는 볼 수 없기 때문에, 연차유급휴가를 받게 된 원인이 된 "퇴직하기 전 해 1년간"의 일부가 퇴직한 날 이전 3월간 내에 포함되지 아니하는 한, 연차유급휴가근로수당은 퇴직금의 산출기준이 되는 평균임금에 포함시킬 수 없는 것이다(당원 1969.7.8. 선고 69다621 판결 참조).

같은 취지에서 원심이 위 원고들의 퇴직금의 산출기준이 되는 평균임금을 산정함에 있어서 위 원고들이 1988.10.4. 퇴직하기 전해인 1987년에 개근하여 받을 것으로 확정된 연차유급휴가를 사용하지 아니함으로써 발생한 연차유급휴가근로수당을 산입하지 아니한 것은 정당하고, 이와 상반되는 견해에서 원심판결을 비난하는 논지는 이유가 없다.

3. 피고 소송수행자의 상고이유에 대하여 판단한다.

가. 관계증거와 기록에 의하면, 원심이 원고들이 시간외 야간 및 휴일근로를 한 시간과 원고 5가 야간근로를 한 시간 등을 인정한 과정에 소론과 같이 채증법칙을 위반하여 사실을 잘못 인정한 위법이 있다고 볼 수 없으므로 원심판결의 확정을 비난하는 논지는 이유가 없다.

나. 근로기준법에 정한 기준에 달하지 못하는 근로조건을 정한 근로계약은 그 부분에 한하여 무효로 하는 것으로서(근로기준법 제20조), 그와 같이 근로기준법 소정의 기준에 미달하는 근로조건이 소론과 같이 단체협약에 의한 것이라거나 근로자들의 승인을 받은 것이라고 하여 유효로 볼 수도 없는 것이므로, 이와 상반되는 견해에서 원심판결을 비난하는 논지도 이유가 없다.

다. 근로기준법 제47조에 의하면 월차유급휴가는 근로자의 자유의사로 1년간에 한하여 사용할 수 있는 것임이 소론과 같지만, 그렇다고 하여 근로자가 월차유급휴가를 사용하지 아니하고 근로한 대가로 받게 되는 월차유급휴가근로수당의 지급청구권도 1년이 지나면 바로 소멸하는 것이라고는 볼 수 없으므로(당원 1972.11.28. 선고 72다1758 판결; 1973.9.25. 선고 73다305 판결; 1980.5.13. 선고 79다2322 판결 등 참조), 이와 상반되는 견해에서 원심판결을 비난하는 논지도 이유가 없다.

4. 그러므로 원고 3의 상고를 각하하고, 그 나머지 원고들의 상고와 피고의 상고를 모두 기각하며, 상고비용은 패소자인 상고인들 각자의 부담으로 하기로 관여 법관의 의견이 일치되어 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 이재성(재판장) 박우동 윤영철 김용준

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