TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taipei City's Department of Labor (勞動局) refuted claims on Tuesday (Nov. 5) that it inadequately handles gender equality complaints, emphasizing its high penalty rate of 92.77% for cases accepted from 2020 through October 2023.
The department's claims countered the recent allegations made by Taipei City Councilor Hung Wang-jen (洪婉臻) of the Democratic Progressive Party (民進黨). Hung highlighted that between 2020 and October 2023, Taipei's agencies received 93 sexual harassment complaints, with only 50 cases deemed valid, resulting in a 33% invalidation rate.
Media reports further revealed that since 1999, only 4.5% of 615 complaints related to pregnancy, parental leave, and related subsidies have resulted in penalties, with just 28 cases resulting in fines.
However, the Department of Labor reported handling 292 gender equality complaints over the past five years. Complainants withdrew 101 cases, 83 were confirmed as violations of gender equality laws, and 77 cases resulted in penalties. The department pointed out that the average processing time for resolved cases in 2023 was 92.3 days, with 17 cases requiring extended processing.
The Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) also underscored that workplace pregnancy discrimination constitutes gender discrimination. Employers found guilty face fines between NT$300,000 and NT$1.5 million, with the potential for public disclosure of their names and those of responsible parties.
This ongoing scrutiny highlights the importance of maintaining rigorous enforcement standards to ensure workplace equality.