The Ministry of Labor today announced that it would launch a consultation service for people who experience gender-related discrimination in the workplace, hoping to encourage more people to speak up.
The ministry commissioned the Legal Aid Foundation to set up a video consultation service for the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別平等工作法) so that people who have experienced workplace discrimination can consult labor and legal professionals one-on-one.
The online service is expected to launch on April 1, the ministry said.
Photo: CNA
The ministry last year released data from workplace sexual harassment reporting system, showing that there were 1,577 reported cases in 2024, including 354 from government agencies and 1,223 from non-government agencies.
A survey conducted last year found that more than 50 percent of employed women had witnessed discrimination related to pregnancy in the workplace, with about 27.8 percent having experienced it personally, Huang Chi-ya (黃琦雅), head of the ministry’s Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, told a news conference today.
While 43 percent were willing to file a complaint, many were deterred by concerns over anonymity and lengthy procedures, Huang said.
The new consultation channel would encourage more people who have experienced discrimination to speak out, she said.
The channel would offer 600 consultations a year and has a budget of NT$2 million (US$62,725), which would be adjusted as necessary, she said.
Already 33 lawyers who have gone through professional education training have joined the service and related courses have been put online, Legal Aid Foundation CEO Chou Han-wei (周漢威) said.
People are advised to upload any documents relevant to their case before the consultation so that lawyers can provide more accurate legal advice, Chou said.
The consultations would cover all parts of the Gender Equality in Employment Act, including regulations on prenatal checkup leave, maternity leave, pregnancy leave, parental leave and leave for one’s spouse, the ministry said.
The regulations prohibit employers from discriminating against job seekers or employees based on gender, pregnancy or sexual orientation, and encompass workplace sexual harassment prevention, it said.
Employers who discriminate based on gender, marital status, pregnancy or sexual orientation when recruiting, paying, promoting or dismissing employees face fines up to NT$1.5 million, the ministry said.
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