Workbear재주넘는곰
대법원 2001도2778

Violation of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법위반)근로기준법위반

Decided2001. 08. 21. Court대법원Reversed and remanded (파기환송) — case sent back to the lower court for further fact-finding, with a strong signal that the workers may be classified as independent contractors rather than employees.
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 case addressed whether tailors who worked as sewing workers at a suit shop qualified as 'employees' (근로자) under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법). The Supreme Court (대법원) set out the criteria for determining subordination in an employment relationship and found that the lower court had failed to properly examine the actual facts. The Court noted that the sewing workers' autonomy over their working hours and location, along with the ability to have their work performed by substitutes, strongly suggested they were independent contractors rather than employees, and remanded the case for further review.

Key takeaways
  • CaseIncident: The owner of a suit shop was prosecuted for violating the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법) after failing to treat sewing workers as employees, including not enrolling them in the four major social insurance programs.
  • OutcomeResult: The Supreme Court (대법원) reversed and remanded the lower court's decision, finding that the sewing workers' autonomy over working hours and location, along with their ability to have others perform their work, indicated they were more like independent contractors than employees.
  • LessonLesson: Employee status must be determined based on the actual substance of the working relationship—such as direction and supervision, time and location constraints, and the ability to substitute performance—rather than merely the label given in a contract.
Issues
  • Whether sewing workers at a suit shop qualify as 'employees' (근로자) under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법)
  • What criteria should be used to determine whether a subordinate employment relationship exists
Key reasoning

The determination of employee status should not be based on the formal title or type of contract used, but on the actual, substantive degree of subordination in the working relationship. Courts must comprehensively consider factors such as whether the employer directed and supervised the work, whether the worker was bound to specific hours and locations, whether the worker could delegate or substitute performance of the work to others, and the nature of the compensation paid. In this case, the lower court hastily concluded that the sewing workers were employees without sufficiently examining these substantive factors, warranting reversal and remand.

Summary of Decision (English, AI translation)

[1] In determining whether a person qualifies as an employee under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), regardless of whether the contract in question is an employment contract or a service contract under the Civil Act (민법), the determination should be made based on whether, in substance, the worker provided labor to the employer in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of wages in the business or workplace. In determining whether such a subordinate relationship exists, the following factors should be comprehensively considered: whether the content of the work is determined by the employer and is subject to the rules of employment, service regulations, personnel regulations, etc., and whether the worker is subject to specific and direct supervision and direction by the employer in the course of performing the work; whether the working hours and place of work are designated by the employer and whether the worker is bound thereby; whether the work is substitutable, such as whether the worker himself may hire a third party to perform the work on his behalf; the ownership of equipment, raw materials, and work tools; matters relating to remuneration, such as whether the remuneration has the character of consideration for the labor itself, whether a basic or fixed wage is set, and whether income tax is withheld from the remuneration; the continuity of the labor-providing relationship and the existence and degree of exclusive affiliation with the employer; whether the worker's status as an employee is recognized under other statutes, such as those concerning the social security system; and the economic and social conditions of both parties.

[2] A case holding that the lower court's judgment, which determined that a tailor's sewing worker constituted an employee under the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법), contained an error of law in misapprehending the legal principles concerning employees, or an error resulting from insufficient deliberation.

Full text (English, AI translation) 9,072 chars

[Defendant] Defendant
[Appellant] Defendant
[Defense Counsel] Attorney Kang Young-cheol and one other
[Judgment Below] Seoul District Court Decision 2001No1690, decided May 16, 2001

[Order]

The judgment below is reversed, and the case is remanded to the Panel Division of the Seoul District Court.

[Reasoning]

1. The court below found as follows: that the non-indicted ○○○, Kim Jin-wan, Lee Do-jae, Lee Young-il, and Park Myung-ok (hereinafter referred to as the "sewing workers"), who were sewing workers at the tailor shop operated by the Defendant, received specific instructions from the Defendant regarding the completion dates and styles of suits, and were reprimanded by the Defendant and required to redo work when a suit was made incorrectly; that although the sewing workers were never given specific instructions from the Defendant regarding working hours or location, since most of the tools necessary for making suits were owned by the Defendant, they almost always worked at the workplace owned by the Defendant; that the sewing workers mainly handled work orders from the Defendant's tailor shop, and when they did work for other tailor shops, they did so with the Defendant's consent; that many of the sewing workers had continuously worked at the Defendant's tailor shop for approximately 10 years or more; that when the sewing workers made suits, they had no choice but to process the work sequentially according to the process, and thus were mutually bound by working location and working hours; and that in the tailoring industry, collective agreements regarding employment contracts and the like between tailor shop owners and sewing workers were gradually being concluded. Based on these findings, the court below determined that even if the Defendant left the sewing workers with a certain degree of discretion regarding the time, place, content, and manner of work, the Defendant exercised direction and supervision in a comprehensive sense, and that the sewing workers also provided labor continuously over a long period in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of wages, and thus the sewing workers constituted piece-rate workers as defined in Article 46 of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법).

2. The court below found that, when the sewing workers made suits, they had no choice but to process the work sequentially according to the process and were thus mutually bound by working location and working hours; however, it is unclear what evidence the court below relied upon in making this finding (the materials at pages 173 to 241 of the investigation record, which appear to have been referenced by the court below, concern a case in which the business establishment joined the Seoul Custom-Made Men's Suits Central Council and that Council concluded a collective agreement with the Seoul Clothing Workers' Union, which appears to be composed of sewing workers as its members; however, according to the Defendant's argument, the tailor shop operated by the Defendant never joined the said Central Council, and the non-indicted ○○○ was a cutter and not a member of the said union). Rather, according to the respective statements made at the court of first instance and to the police by ○○○, Lee Do-jae, Park Myung-ok, and ○○○, which are among the evidence adopted by the court of first instance and maintained by the court below, it can be discerned that the sewing workers who received orders to sew suits from the Defendant's tailor shop and performed the work consisted mainly of sewing workers who worked at the Defendant's factory (to which the aforementioned sewing workers correspond) and sewing workers who worked at their own workshops, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "outsourced sewing workers"); that all of the sewing workers except Park Myung-ok received work orders, work materials, and parts from the Defendant, and each independently (without cooperation or assistance from other sewing workers) completed the jacket or trousers of a men's suit, then directly delivered them to the Defendant and received remuneration from the Defendant in proportion to the number of completed jackets or trousers; and that, however, some sewing workers entrusted the finishing work (called "madome") to Park Myung-ok during the work process, having Park Myung-ok complete it and deliver it to the Defendant, in which case approximately 10% of the remuneration that the sewing worker would receive was paid to Park Myung-ok as her fee, and for convenience, the Defendant directly paid that 10% to Park Myung-ok. Therefore, the court below's fact-finding on this point violates the rules of evidence.

Furthermore, in determining whether a person constitutes a worker (근로자) under the Labor Standards Act, regardless of whether the contract is a employment contract or a work contract under the Civil Act (민법) in form, the determination should be made based on whether, in substance, the worker provided labor to the employer in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of wages at a business or workplace. In determining whether such a subordinate relationship exists, the following factors should be comprehensively considered: whether the content of the work is determined by the employer and is subject to employment rules, service regulations, personnel regulations, etc., and whether the worker receives specific and direct direction and supervision from the employer in the course of performing the work; whether working hours and location are designated by the employer and the worker is bound thereby; whether the work is substitutable, such as whether the worker may hire a third party to perform the work on their behalf; the ownership of equipment, raw materials, work tools, etc.; matters concerning remuneration, such as whether the remuneration has the character of consideration for the labor itself, whether a basic salary or fixed wage is set, and whether income tax on wages is withheld at source; the continuity of the labor-providing relationship and the existence and degree of exclusive affiliation with the employer; whether the worker's status as such is recognized under other statutes, such as laws concerning the social security system; and the economic and social conditions of both parties (see Supreme Court Decision 95Da20348, decided April 26, 1996; Supreme Court Decision 98Du9219, decided January 28, 2000, etc.). The court below determined, based on the facts found above, that the sewing workers provided labor to the Defendant in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of wages; however, according to the record, it can be discerned that the said tailor shop had no employment rules or other service regulations applicable to cutters, sewing workers, etc.; that the sewing workers were not designated working hours or locations; that sewing workers who, like the aforementioned sewing workers, worked at the workplace owned by the Defendant received remuneration reduced by 10% compared to the outsourced sewing workers, under the name of a usage fee for the location, electricity charges, etc.; that the sewing workers each carried their own key to the workplace, and were not prohibited from playing cards, drinking alcohol, or taking naps during working hours, and that some sewing workers did not come to the workplace for 5 to 10 days per month due to volunteering elsewhere, without being subject to any particular control; that the sewing workers were permitted to entrust the work assigned to them to another outside person instead of handling it themselves directly, and were not subject to any particular control by the Defendant in that regard; and that no basic fixed salary was set or paid to the sewing workers, and only a fixed amount of remuneration per completed jacket or pair of trousers was paid, with no withholding of income tax on wages, and that they were not enrolled in industrial accident compensation insurance or workplace medical insurance. In light of the above, it is difficult to conclude, based solely on the circumstances set forth by the court below, that the sewing workers provided labor to the Defendant in a subordinate relationship for the purpose of wages.

Nevertheless, the court below made the above determination without fully examining these points or without taking them into consideration, thereby finding that the Defendant was a person who regularly employed five or more workers including the aforementioned sewing workers, and punishing the Defendant for violation of the Labor Standards Act (근로기준법위반죄). This constitutes an error in the legal principles concerning "worker" under the Labor Standards Act, or an error of failing to fully examine whether the Labor Standards Act applies. Therefore, the argument in the grounds of appeal is well-founded.

3. Accordingly, the judgment below is reversed and the case is remanded to the court below, and it is so decided as stated in the Order by the unanimous opinion of the participating Justices.

Justice Yoo Ji-dam (Presiding Justice), Seo Seong, Bae Gi-won, Park Jae-yoon (Justice in Charge)

【판결요지】

[1] 근로기준법상의 근로자에 해당하는지 여부를 판단함에 있어서는 그 계약이 민법상의 고용계약이든 또는 도급계약이든 그 계약의 형식에 관계없이 그 실질에 있어 근로자가 사업 또는 사업장에 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 사용자에게 근로를 제공하였는지 여부에 따라 판단하여야 하고, 여기서 종속적인 관계가 있는지 여부를 판단함에 있어서는 업무의 내용이 사용자에 의하여 정하여지고 취업규칙·복무규정·인사규정 등의 적용을 받으며 업무수행 과정에 있어서도 사용자로부터 구체적이고 직접적인 지휘·감독을 받는지 여부, 사용자에 의하여 근무시간과 근무장소가 지정되고 이에 구속을 받는지 여부, 근로자 스스로가 제3자를 고용하여 업무를 대행케 하는 등 업무의 대체성 유무, 비품·원자재·작업도구 등의 소유관계, 보수가 근로 자체의 대상적 성격을 갖고 있는지 여부와 기본급이나 고정급이 정하여져 있는지 여부 및 근로소득세의 원천징수 여부 등 보수에 관한 사항, 근로제공관계의 계속성과 사용자에의 전속성의 유무와 정도, 사회보장제도에 관한 법령 등 다른 법령에 의하여 근로자로서의 지위를 인정받는지 여부, 양 당사자의 경제·사회적 조건 등을 종합적으로 고려하여 판단하여야 한다.

[2] 양복점의 재봉공이 근로기준법상의 근로자에 해당한다고 판단한 원심판결에 근로자에 대한 법리오해 또는 심리미진의 위법이 있다고 한 사례.

【참조조문】

[1] 근로기준법 제14조, 제17조

[2] 근로기준법 제14조, 제17조, 제46조

【참조판례】

[1] 대법원 1994. 12. 9. 선고 94다22859 판결(공1995상, 448), 대법원 1995. 6. 30. 선고 94도2122 판결(공1995하, 2685), 대법원 1996. 4. 26. 선고 95다20348 판결(공1996상, 1690), 대법원 1996. 7. 30. 선고 96도732 판결(공1996하, 2754), 대법원 1996. 9. 6. 선고 95다35289 판결(공1996하, 2972), 대법원 1996. 11. 29. 선고 96누11181 판결(공1997상, 215), 대법원 1997. 2. 14. 선고 96누1795 판결(공1997상, 786), 대법원 1997. 11. 14. 선고 97누13016 판결(공1997하, 3882), 대법원 1997. 11. 28. 선고 97다7998 판결(공1998상, 46), 대법원 1997. 12. 26. 선고 97누16534 판결(공1998상, 431), 대법원 1998. 5. 8. 선고 98다6084 판결(공1998상, 1599), 대법원 1999. 2. 24. 선고 98두2201 판결(공1999상, 576), 대법원 2000. 1. 28. 선고 98두9219 판결(공2000상, 598)

【주문】·【이유】 전문 3,460자 · 펼쳐 보기

【피 고 인】 피고인

【상 고 인】 피고인

【변 호 인】 변호사 강영철 외 1인

【원심판결】 서울지법 2001. 5. 16. 선고 2001노1690 판결

【주 문】

원심판결을 파기하고, 사건을 서울지방법원 본원 합의부로 환송한다.

【이 유】1. 원심은, 피고인이 운영하는 양복점의 재봉공인 공소외 ○○○, 김진완, 이도재, 이영일, 박명옥(이하 '재봉공들'이라 한다)이 양복의 완성 날짜와 스타일에 대하여 구체적으로 피고인의 지시를 받아 일을 처리하며, 양복이 잘못되었을 경우에는 피고인으로부터 질책을 받고 재작업을 한 사실, 비록 위 재봉공들이 피고인으로부터 작업시간과 장소에 대하여 구체적으로 지시 받은 적이 없지만 양복을 만드는 데 필요한 도구가 대부분 피고인의 소유이어서 거의 피고인 소유의 작업장에 나와 일을 한 사실, 위 재봉공들은 주로 피고인 양복점의 일감을 처리하였고 다른 양복점의 일을 할 때에는 피고인의 승낙 하에 작업한 사실, 재봉공 중 다수는 피고인의 양복점에서 약 10년 이상 계속적으로 근무한 사실, 위 재봉공들이 양복을 만들 때에는 그 공정에 따라 순차적으로 일을 처리할 수밖에 없어 상호간에 근로장소와 근로시간에 얽매여 일한 사실, 양복점 업계에서 점차 양복점 주인과 재봉공 사이에 근로계약 등에 관하여 단체협약이 체결되고 있는 사실을 인정한 후, 위 인정 사실에 의하면, 피고인은 위 재봉공들에게 작업의 시간, 장소, 내용, 태양 등에 관하여 일정한 자율에 맡기고 있다고 하더라도, 포괄적인 의미에서 지휘·감독을 하였다고 할 것이고, 위 재봉공들도 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 장기간 계속적으로 노무를 제공하였다고 볼 것이어서, 위 재봉공들은 근로기준법 제46조에서 정한 도급근로자에 해당한다고 판단하였다.

2. 원심은, 위 재봉공들이 양복을 만들 때에는 그 공정에 따라 순차적으로 일을 처리할 수밖에 없어 상호간에 근로장소와 근로시간에 얽매여 일한 사실을 인정하였으나, 원심이 어떠한 증거에 의하여 위 사실을 인정하였는지 명백하지 아니할 뿐만 아니라(원심이 참고한 것으로 보이는 수사기록 173 내지 241면의 자료는, 사업장이 서울주문신사복중앙협의회에 가입하고 그 협의회가 재봉공을 구성원으로 하는 것으로 보이는 서울복장노동조합과 단체협약을 체결한 사안에 관한 것인데, 피고인의 주장에 의하면 피고인 운영의 양복점은 위 중앙협의회에 가입한 바 없다는 것이고 소외 ○○○은 재단사로서 위 노동조합의 조합원이 아니라고 한다), 오히려 원심이 유지한 제1심이 채택한 증거들인 ○○○, 이도재, 박명옥, ○○○의 제1심법정 및 경찰에서의 각 진술에 의하면 피고인 운영의 양복점으로부터 양복의 재봉에 관한 도급을 받아 작업을 한 재봉공은 주로 피고인의 공장에서 작업을 하는 재봉공(위 재봉공들이 이에 해당된다)과 자신의 작업실 등에서 작업을 하는 재봉공(이하 '외주 재봉공'이라 한다)으로 구성되어 있으며, 박명옥을 제외한 재봉공들은 모두 피고인으로부터 작업지시서, 일감 및 부품을 전달받아 각자가 독립하여(다른 재봉공과의 협력이나 조력이 없이) 남자양복의 상의 또는 하의를 완성한 후 이를 피고인에게 직접 납품하고 피고인으로부터 완성된 상의 또는 하의의 수에 비례하는 보수를 지급 받는 사실, 다만 일부 재봉공은 작업 중 끝손질 작업('마도메'라고 한다)을 박명옥에게 의뢰하여 박명옥으로 하여금 이를 완성한 후 피고인에게 납품하도록 하고 있으며 이 때에는 그 재봉공이 받을 보수 중 10% 상당액을 그 보수로서 박명옥에게 지급하는데 편의상 피고인이 그 10%를 박명옥에게 직접 지급하고 있는 사실을 엿볼 수 있으므로, 원심의 이 부분 사실인정에는 채증법칙을 위반한 위법이 있다고 할 것이다.

또한 근로기준법상의 근로자에 해당하는지 여부를 판단함에 있어서는 그 계약이 민법상의 고용계약이든 또는 도급계약이든 그 계약의 형식에 관계없이 그 실질에 있어 근로자가 사업 또는 사업장에 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 사용자에게 근로를 제공하였는지 여부에 따라 판단하여야 하고, 여기서 종속적인 관계가 있는지 여부를 판단함에 있어서는 업무의 내용이 사용자에 의하여 정하여지고 취업규칙·복무규정·인사규정 등의 적용을 받으며 업무수행 과정에 있어서도 사용자로부터 구체적이고 직접적인 지휘·감독을 받는지 여부, 사용자에 의하여 근무시간과 근무장소가 지정되고 이에 구속을 받는지 여부, 근로자 스스로가 제3자를 고용하여 업무를 대행케 하는 등 업무의 대체성 유무, 비품·원자재·작업도구 등의 소유관계, 보수가 근로 자체의 대상적 성격을 갖고 있는지 여부와 기본급이나 고정급이 정하여져 있는지 여부 및 근로소득세의 원천징수 여부 등 보수에 관한 사항, 근로제공관계의 계속성과 사용자에의 전속성의 유무와 정도, 사회보장제도에 관한 법령 등 다른 법령에 의하여 근로자로서의 지위를 인정받는지 여부, 양 당사자의 경제·사회적 조건 등을 종합적으로 고려하여 판단하여야 할 것인바(대법원 1996. 4. 26. 선고 95다20348 판결, 2000. 1. 28. 선고 98두9219 판결 등 참조), 원심은 위에서 본 인정 사실을 근거로 위 재봉공들이 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 피고인에게 근로를 제공하였다고 판단하였으나, 기록에 의하면 위 양복점에는 재단사·재봉공 등에 대하여 적용되는 취업규칙이나 다른 복무규정이 마련되어 있지 않고 작업시간이나 장소를 지정받지도 않으며 위 재봉공들처럼 피고인 소유의 작업장에 나와서 일하는 재봉공은 외주 재봉공보다 장소사용료나 전기료 등 명목으로 10%를 저감한 보수를 지급받고, 재봉공들이 각자 작업장의 열쇠를 가지고 다니며 작업시간에도 화투놀이나 음주, 낮잠이 금지되어 있지 않고 일부 재봉공은 다른 곳에 자원봉사를 하느라고 한 달에 5-10일씩 작업장에 나오지 않는데도 별다른 통제를 받지 않는 사실, 재봉공들은 자신이 맡은 일을 직접 처리하지 아니하고 외부의 다른 사람에게 위탁하는 것도 허용되고 있고 그에 관하여 특별히 피고인의 통제를 받지 않고 있는 사실, 위 재봉공들에게는 기본적 고정급여가 정해지거나 지급되지 않고 완성한 양복 상의 또는 하의 1장당 일정액의 보수만이 지급되어 왔으며 근로소득세를 원천징수한 바 없고, 산업재해보상보험이나 직장의료보험에 가입한 바도 없는 사실을 엿볼 수 있어 원심이 설시한 사정만으로 위 재봉공들이 임금을 목적으로 종속적인 관계에서 피고인에게 근로를 제공하였다고 단정하기 어렵다고 판단된다.

그럼에도 불구하고 원심이 이러한 점들에 대한 심리를 다하지 아니하거나 이를 고려하지 아니한 채 위와 같이 판단함으로써 피고인이 위 재봉공들을 포함한 5인 이상의 근로자를 상시 고용하는 자에 해당한다고 보아 그를 근로기준법위반죄로 처단한 것은 근로기준법상의 근로자에 대한 법리를 오해하였거나 근로기준법 적용대상 여부에 관한 심리를 다하지 아니한 위법이 있다고 할 것이므로, 상고이유의 주장은 이유 있다.

3. 그러므로 원심판결을 파기하고 사건을 원심법원으로 환송하기로 하여 관여 대법관의 일치된 의견으로 주문과 같이 판결한다.

대법관 유지담(재판장) 서성 배기원 박재윤(주심)

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