NEW TAIPEI (TVBS News) — New Taipei City's Labor Affairs Department (新北市政府勞工局) announced on Monday (Aug. 19) the fourth list of companies violating labor laws, including the Labor Standards Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and the Gender Equality in Employment Act, with 310 businesses fined by a total of NT$19.41 million.
Among the offenders, Zhinan Bus Company (指南汽車客運) received an NT$850,000 fine for overworking employees and not providing the mandatory 11-hour rest period between shifts. This marks its seventh and fourth violations of the same regulations, respectively. The company employs over 500 workers.
CTi Wire & Cable (新泰工業股份有限公司) also faced penalties for overworking employees, with extended working hours reaching 118 hours in a single month for three consecutive months. This is the company's seventh violation, resulting in an NT$650,000 fine. CTi Wire & Cable employs over 300 workers.
The Labor Affairs Department noted that Zhinan Bus Company and CTi Wire & Cable have been fined NT$4.45 million and NT$2.75 million, respectively, over the past five years for repeated violations.
In terms of gender equality violations, seven companies were penalized for refusing or taking punitive administrative action against employees taking menstrual leave or unpaid leave. Additionally, five companies failed to take immediate corrective measures upon learning of workplace sexual harassment incidents.
Chen Jui-chia (陳瑞嘉), the director of the Labor Affairs Department, stated that in response to the increased fine cap of NT$1 million under the Labor Standards Act, New Taipei City revised its penalty guidelines on June 8, 2020.
The new guidelines consider the number of violations, the number of employees, and the severity of the infractions. Publicly listed companies will face an additional 20% fine.