TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (勞動部) unveiled sweeping new sick leave protections Thursday (Nov. 20) following the October death of an EVA Air (長榮航空) flight attendant who worked while ill. The urgent regulatory changes aim to prevent employers from penalizing workers who take necessary medical leave.
Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) declared employers cannot penalize workers taking up to 10 sick days annually. He directly blamed EVA Air's performance evaluation system for creating pressure that allegedly forced the deceased flight attendant to work while ill.
The new protections follow emergency consultations with labor groups, employers, and academics, and will be explicitly codified in labor regulations. Hung emphasized that employee evaluations must consider overall job performance rather than penalizing workers for legitimate sick days.
The ministry will detail enforcement measures at a press conference later today, with Hung warning that non-compliant employers will face penalties. Officials stressed these changes prioritize worker health rights over corporate performance metrics. ◼