🚨 Early Morning Delivery Overwork Problem

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.11.15

0️⃣ Night Work Health Damage and System Reform Needs

📌 '83-Hour Overwork Death' Caused by Early Morning Delivery…Coupang Workers Say "Stop the Speed Race"

💬 As the early morning delivery system structures night work, health damage to logistics workers is becoming serious. Night shift workers at Coupang logistics centers say they must complete all processes within one hour to handle orders received by midnight before 1 AM. During this process, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, and depression appear, and a structure that makes long-term work difficult continues. Recently, a logistics center worker died after working 83 hours per week. Experts point out that institutional responses are urgent since night work is internationally classified as harmful work. In particular, other countries ban night work in principle or allow it only as an exception, but Korea receives criticism for lacking related regulations.

💡 Summary

• Early morning delivery is a fast delivery service, but night work and extreme speed competition have become routine at logistics sites.
• Health damage from night work like sleep disorders, heart disease, and depression keeps happening.
• Unlike international standards, Korea lacks night work protection systems and needs reform.

1️⃣ Definition

Early morning delivery means a logistics service that delivers products ordered by customers by a certain time the night before (usually midnight) in the early morning (around 7 AM) the next day. It is a system introduced by online retailers to compete with fast delivery. While convenient for consumers, it has structured night work and speed competition at logistics sites.

To make early morning delivery possible, night work from 10 PM to dawn is essential for sorting and packing products. During this process, workers face extreme time pressure to handle large quantities within set times. Especially the "one-hour war" of processing orders received by midnight before 1 AM is becoming a serious threat to workers' health and safety.

💡 Why is this important?

• Night work can disrupt body rhythms and cause serious long-term health problems.
• A logistics system focused on speed competition violates workers' safety and health rights.
• Finding balance between consumer convenience and worker rights is a social challenge.
• Night work protection systems meeting International Labour Organization (ILO) standards are needed.

2️⃣ Current Status and Problems of Early Morning Delivery

📕 Reality of Night Work at Logistics Centers

• Work happens under extreme time pressure. The main realities are:

  • Night shift workers at Coupang logistics centers must process orders received by midnight before 1 AM.
  • Within one hour, they must find, sort, pack products, and complete delivery preparation.
  • If they don't meet the time, it affects colleagues, so they reduce even bathroom time while working.
  • Working continuously without breaks leads to reaching physical and mental limits.

• Health damage from night work is serious. Main health problems include:

  • Sleep disorders are most common, causing chronic fatigue from not sleeping properly.
  • Disrupted body rhythms cause digestion problems, headaches, and weakened immunity.
  • Long-term risks of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and depression increase.
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies night shift work as "possibly cancer-causing."

• Overwork death cases keep happening. Main examples include:

  • Recently a Coupang logistics center worker died after working 83 hours per week.
  • The combination of long hours and night work can directly cause death from overwork.
  • But when such incidents occur, they are often treated as individual responsibility rather than system improvement.
  • Bereaved families and fellow workers demand stopping the speed race and creating safe work environments.

📕 Lack of Institutional Protection

• Current Labor Standards Act has limitations. Main problems are:

  • The Labor Standards Act sets 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week as principles, but has many exceptions.
  • It requires paying extra wages (50% of regular wages) for night work, but health protection measures are insufficient.
  • Many logistics center workers work as dispatched or contracted labor, so legal protection doesn't apply properly.
  • Actual work time management and supervision are difficult, leaving long work hours unaddressed.

• Application of Occupational Safety and Health Act is limited. Main limitations include:

  • The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to guarantee worker safety and health.
  • But application is limited for non-regular and special employment workers.
  • Short-time multi-process work at logistics centers has high risks of overwork and accidents, but prevention rules are lacking.
  • Specific protective measures like health checkups or rest guarantees for night work are insufficient.

• The gap with international standards is large. Main differences include:

  • The ILO recommends banning night work when possible and allowing exceptions only when unavoidable.
  • France legally limits night work and combines health checkups and sleep protection systems.
  • Germany also strictly regulates mandatory health checkups, sufficient rest time, and night allowances for night work.
  • Korea needs improvement since it lacks principled bans or strict protection regulations for night work.

💡 Main Issues of Early Morning Delivery Overwork

1. Speed competition: Extreme pressure to process large quantities within set times
2. Night work damage: Health deterioration like sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, heart disease
3. Repeated overwork deaths: Death incidents from long hours and night work
4. Insufficient legal protection: Limited law application due to non-regular/special employment forms
5. International standards gap: Lack of night work protection systems compared to advanced countries

3️⃣ Improvement Plans and Future Tasks

✅ Strengthening Night Work Protection Systems

• Legal regulations on night work are needed. Main directions include:

  • Night work should be limited in principle with exceptions only when unavoidable.
  • Mandatory health checkups should be regularly conducted for night shifts.
  • Consecutive night work days should be limited and sufficient rest time guaranteed.
  • Night allowances should be realistic and compensation for health risks strengthened.

• Work intensity and speed must be adjusted. Main measures include:

  • Unrealistic time pressure to finish all processes within one hour must be eased.
  • Proper staffing should be arranged to reduce workload per worker.
  • Automation equipment should be introduced to reduce physical burden.
  • Work standards prioritizing worker health and safety must be established.

✅ Strengthening Corporate Responsibility

• Safety obligations of logistics companies must be clear. Main tasks include:

  • Prime contractors must take responsibility for subcontracted and dispatched workers' safety and health.
  • Work time management systems to prevent overwork must be introduced and followed.
  • Regular safety education and health counseling should be conducted.
  • Corporate legal responsibility should be strengthened when industrial accidents or overwork deaths occur.

• Investment in improving working conditions is needed. Main directions include:

  • Proper wages should be guaranteed for living stability.
  • Regular employment conversion should be expanded to increase job security.
  • Work environments should be improved to create pleasant and safe spaces.
  • Communication channels gathering worker opinions should be activated.

✅ Social Awareness Transformation

• Consumer awareness change is needed. Main tasks include:

  • People must know that fast delivery happens at the sacrifice of worker health.
  • Even if a bit slower, delivery services respecting worker rights can be chosen.
  • Reducing unnecessary early morning delivery orders and using regular delivery also helps.
  • Ethical consumption should be practiced to support worker-friendly companies.

• Active government intervention is required. Main measures include:

  • Law amendments and enforcement decree adjustments are needed to protect night work.
  • Labor supervision of logistics industry should be strengthened to strictly crack down on law violations.
  • Public support programs for overwork prevention and health management should be expanded.
  • A logistics industry safety council with labor and management participation should be formed to find improvement plans.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explanation

🔎 Night Work

• Night work is a harmful work form that disrupts body rhythms.
  • Night work means labor performed between 10 PM and 6 AM the next day. The Labor Standards Act requires paying 50% extra on regular wages for night work, but regulations on health protection aspects are insufficient.
  • Health risks of night work include: First, circadian rhythm disruption causes sleep disorders. Second, symptoms like chronic fatigue, digestion problems, and headaches appear. Third, long-term risks of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome increase. Fourth, mental health problems like depression and anxiety disorders can develop. Fifth, weakened immunity makes people vulnerable to various diseases.
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified night shift work as 'possibly carcinogenic (Group 2A)'. This reflects research showing night work can increase risks of breast cancer, prostate cancer, etc. Therefore, night work should be recognized not simply as an inconvenient work time but as harmful work threatening health, and legal and institutional protection should be strengthened.

🔎 International Labour Organization (ILO) Standards

• The ILO recommends limiting night work in principle.
  • The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a UN specialized agency established to protect worker rights and improve working conditions, presenting international labor standards. The ILO requires work hours within 24 hours not to exceed 8 hours and demands special protective measures for night work.
  • Main ILO recommendations on night work include: First, ban night work when possible, allowing exceptions only for public interest purposes or unavoidable industries. Second, guarantee sufficient rest time before and after night shifts. Third, conduct regular health checkups to monitor health status. Fourth, provide proper compensation (night allowances) for night work. Fifth, strictly limit night work for pregnant women and youth.
  • European countries generally strictly regulate night work following ILO standards. France legally limits night work and combines health checkups and sleep protection systems. Germany also strictly regulates mandatory health checkups, sufficient rest time, and proper night allowances for night work. In contrast, Korea receives criticism for having a large gap with international standards since it lacks principled bans or strict protection regulations for night work.

🔎 Labor Standards Act

• The Labor Standards Act is a law setting minimum standards for working conditions.
  • The Labor Standards Act is a law that aims to guarantee and improve workers' basic lives by setting standards for working conditions according to the Constitution. It sets 8 hours per day and 40 hours per week as legal working hours and requires paying extra wages for work exceeding these limits.
  • Labor Standards Act provisions on night work include: First, 50% extra must be paid on regular wages for night work (10 PM - 6 AM). Second, extended work cannot exceed 12 hours per week. Third, night work for pregnant women and workers under 18 is limited. Fourth, employers must get worker consent to assign night work.
  • However, in reality there are limits to law application. First, legal protection doesn't apply properly since many logistics center workers work as dispatched, contracted, or special employment. Second, long work hours are neglected since actual work time management and supervision are difficult. Third, specific measures for health protection (health checkups, rest guarantees, etc.) beyond night allowances are insufficient. Fourth, punishment for law violations is weak, drawing criticism about lack of effectiveness. Experts argue the Labor Standards Act should be amended to strengthen night work protection provisions and apply the same protection to special employment and non-regular workers.

🔎 Occupational Safety and Health Act

• The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a law to guarantee worker safety and health.
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Act is a law enacted to protect the safety and health of workers in industrial sites and create pleasant work environments. It imposes safety and health measure obligations on employers and provides for punishment when violated.
  • Main contents of the Occupational Safety and Health Act include: First, employers must take measures to maintain and improve worker safety and health. Second, safety and health education must be conducted for dangerous work. Third, worker health status must be managed through regular health checkups. Fourth, industrial accidents must be immediately reported and recurrence prevention measures prepared when they occur. Fifth, prime contractors are also responsible for subcontracted worker safety.
  • However, law application is limited in the logistics industry. First, non-regular and special employment workers have difficulty receiving legal protection. Second, short-time multi-process work at logistics centers has high risks of overwork and accidents, but specific prevention regulations are lacking. Third, special measures like health checkups or rest guarantees for night work are insufficient. Fourth, there are no regulations on the work structure itself centered on speed competition that threatens safety. Experts emphasize the Occupational Safety and Health Act should be amended to protect all forms of workers and create special provisions for night work and high-intensity work.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Does not using early morning delivery help protect workers?

A: Yes, consumer choices can impact improving work environments.

• If early morning delivery orders decrease, night volumes at logistics centers decrease, which helps reduce worker workload. Especially, just refraining from ordering unnecessary or non-urgent items by early morning delivery and choosing regular delivery can create change. Also, using services of companies leading in improving worker treatment in terms of ethical consumption is a good method.
• Of course, individual consumption choices have limits alone. Fundamentally, companies must have management philosophies prioritizing worker health and safety over speed competition, and the government must prepare laws and systems regulating night work. However, consumers recognizing that fast delivery happens at worker sacrifice and making ethical choices even if a bit slower can be the first step in changing overall social awareness.

Q: Is night work really that bad for health?

A: Yes, night work is a scientifically proven health risk factor.

• The human body is designed to be active during the day and rest at night. This is called circadian rhythm (body clock), and night work disrupts this rhythm causing various health problems. Short-term problems include sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, digestion problems, and headaches, while long-term risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression increase. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified night shift work as a 'possibly carcinogenic factor' for breast and prostate cancer.
• Especially when high-intensity physical labor and night work combine like at logistics centers, health risks grow even larger. In a state of insufficient sleep, lifting heavy items and moving quickly increases accident risks. Also, prolonged night work weakens immunity making people vulnerable to various diseases and weakens recovery ability. Therefore, night work should be recognized not simply as a difficult work time but as harmful work threatening health, and legal and institutional protection should be strengthened.

Q: What needs to be done to improve logistics center worker treatment?

A: Government law amendments, corporate responsibility, and consumer awareness changes must happen together.

• First, the government must amend laws to protect night work. Night work should be limited in principle with exceptions only when unavoidable, mandatory health checkups and sufficient rest time guaranteed, and night allowances made realistic. Also, the same protection should apply to non-regular and special employment workers, and punishment strengthened for violations. Labor supervision of the logistics industry should be strengthened to prevent long hours and overwork.
• Second, companies must prioritize worker safety and health over speed competition. Unrealistic time pressure should be eased and proper staffing arranged, automation equipment introduced to reduce physical burden. Non-regular workers should be converted to regular employment with proper wages guaranteed, and work environments improved. Prime contractors must take responsibility for subcontracted and dispatched worker safety. Third, consumers must recognize that fast delivery happens at worker sacrifice and make ethical choices even if a bit slower. Reducing unnecessary early morning delivery orders, using regular delivery, and supporting worker-friendly companies helps.

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