My employer is not paying my salary. What should I do?

What to Prepare

1. Secure as Much Evidence as Possible Related to Unpaid Wages

• Evidence related to unpaid wages, severance pay, allowances, etc.
• Basic documents: Employment contract, payslips, bank statements for salary deposits (issued by the bank), certificate of enrollment in the 4 major social insurances (issued by the Government24 and the 4 Social Insurance Information System), wage arrears confirmation issued by the employer, and for construction workers, a daily wage statement.
• In the case of unpaid severance pay: Documents verifying the period of employment (e.g., certificate of enrollment in the 4 major social insurances), payslips for the last 3 months before resignation (gross amount before tax deduction), severance calculation statement issued by the employer, and for employees enrolled in a Defined Contribution (DC) pension plan, contribution payment records (issued by the pension provider).
• In the case of unpaid overtime, night work, or holiday allowances: Records that can confirm extended, night, or holiday work (e.g., attendance records).
• In the case of unpaid annual leave allowance: Records of annual leave accrued and used (e.g., annual leave logs, vacation requests).
• In the case of unpaid severance notice allowance: Termination notice or related communication, such as text messages or voice recordings.

• Evidence related to complaints other than unpaid wages:
• Employment contract, certificate of enrollment in the 4 major social insurances (issued by Government24 and the 4 Social Insurance Information Link Center), and other documents supporting the complaint.
※ Although a complaint can be filed without supporting documents, having more evidence can facilitate smoother case processing.

1. Gather Information About the Employer (Respondent)

• Employer’s name, employer’s mobile phone number, company address based on the actual work location, company phone number, number of employees, etc.

How to apply

Processing procedure

• A labor inspector will summon both the complainant and the respondent and conduct an investigation.
• The processing period is 25 days (excluding Saturdays and public holidays), with the possibility of extension up to two times.
• If the complainant fails to appear more than twice, it is considered as a withdrawal of the complaint, and the case will be closed (a new complaint can be filed later).

• If a violation of the law, such as unpaid wages, is confirmed through the labor inspector's investigation, the employer is given a correction order. → If the violation is corrected, the case will be closed.

• If the employer does not comply with the correction order, a criminal investigation may be initiated, and the case can be referred to the prosecution.
• Employers who fail to pay wages can face up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.