The government should amend the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別平等工作法) and corporations must be transparent in their handling of reports of sexual harassment, the Nuan Nuan Sunshine Association and Citizen Congress Watch told a news conference yesterday.
An alleged sexual assault by a McDonald’s supervisor exposed a lack of preventive efforts and follow-up procedures at large corporations, the groups said.
A former McDonald’s employee aged 17 last month committed suicide following the alleged incident involving a supervisor surnamed Lee (李) at a Taipei restaurant.
Photo courtesy of Citizen Congress Watch
The incident shows the trauma that people feel from sexual violence, the groups said.
There were 343,000 people affected by sexual harassment or assault in 2023, but more than half remained silent, the groups said, citing a Ministry of Labor poll.
The numbers show that pre-emptive measures are ineffective and do not offer adequate protection for those affected, they said.
People often find it hard to speak out because the harasser is in a position of power, Nuan Nuan said, adding that public stereotypes of what “perfect victims” should look and sound like often mean reports are not submitted.
The government should amend Article 13 of the act and the Regulations for Establishing Measures on Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (工作場所性騷擾防治措施準則) to require employers to refer cases to a counselor, or a medical or social welfare establishment within seven days of receiving the complaint, the groups said.
The Ministry of Labor should follow up on the cases, regularly review corporate guidelines and consult third-party experts, they added.
Large corporations should review and publish their internal sexual harassment prevention guidelines and training regimen, the groups said.
Separately, McDonald’s Taiwan yesterday addressed the situation involving Lee.
It “expresses its sincerest apology to the victim and her family,” McDonald’s Taiwan said, adding that it had failed in taking “preventative action before [the alleged incident] happened and the handling was not timely nor comprehensive enough.”
The employee reported an initial incident on March 3 last year, the company said, adding that the authorities are investigating and it has turned over all relevant information.
On March 25, she filed a sexual assault complaint with the company, it said, adding that an internal investigation found evidence substantiating her claims.
McDonald’s Taiwan denied that it was de-escalating the issue by saying that she had a relationship with the former manager and added that he is not related to McDonald’s Taiwan chairman Lee Chang-lin (李昌霖).
Additional reporting by CNA
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