A revised workplace health and safety guideline to improve the protection of employees from physical or mental harm caused by bullying at work was published by the Ministry of Labor and went into effect yesterday.
The newly published guideline is the fourth edition of a set of rules with a focus on employers’ responsibility to protect employees, specifically in incidents of workplace bullying, said the ministry’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The revised guideline also includes measures a business should take to prevent employees from suffering physical and mental harm caused unlawfully by bullying at work and to conduct an investigation, it said.
Photo: Lee Chin-hui, Taipei Times
The guideline was first introduced in 2014, and the latest edition is aimed at addressing workplace bullying, before a draft amendment to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) focusing on the issue is passed by lawmakers, it added.
The ministry previously expected to send a finalized draft amendment to the Legislature in May at the earliest.
The issue of workplace bullying attracted public attention late last year following the suicide of a 39-year-old civil servant working at a regional branch of the ministry’s Workforce Development Administration in November. His death was later determined to be the result of his superior bullying him.
In addition to workplace violence and sexual harassment, new rules regarding bullying and discrimination have been added in the revised guidelines, said OSHA’s Occupational Hygiene and Health Division chief Chang Kuo-ming (張國 明) yesterday.
The unlawful acts that could cause harm to workers, such as the use of words or language, physical actions, and inappropriate telecommunication of online messages have also been listed as examples employers should look out for, according to Chang.
Businesses with at least 30 employees should set up a panel of at least three members to investigate complaints regarding inappropriate workplace behavior, preferably within three days, he said.
For businesses that have at least 100 employees, at least two members on the panel should be legal or medical experts or psychology specialists outside the businesses, he added.
For businesses with fewer than 30 employees, the investigation should be conducted by both employers and representatives of employees, ideally with outside experts, according to Chang.
Those in need of counseling or assistance can call the 1925 or 1995 hotlines or such services in other countries for help.
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