More than 1,500 complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace were reported last year, after laws making employers responsible for such misconduct took effect on March 8 last year, the Ministry of Labor said on Thursday.
The ministry recorded 1,577 workplace sexual harassment complaints filed between March and December last year, after employers became responsible for notifying local authorities when they receive such complaints from employees, it said in a statement.
The requirement was part of amendments that established the legal responsibility of employers to provide a safe work environment and institute rules on the handling of sexual harassment incidents under the Gender Equality in Employment Act (性別工作平等法).
Photo: CNA
The Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法) and the Gender Equity Education Act (性別平等教育法) were also amended to address harassment outside the workplace, such as schools or in the public sector, according to the sexual harassment complaints procedures published on the ministry’s Web site.
Of the 1,577 complaints, 354, or 22.4 percent, involved government agencies, while 1,397, or 88.6 percent, were made by women, the ministry said.
Wang Chin-jung (王金蓉), deputy director of the Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, said that 127 people lost their job after a complaint against them was determined to be true and severe.
Regarding the types of alleged sexual harassment, 1,172 complaints involved verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that created a hostile or offensive environment, 325 concerned abuse of power and 12 complaints involved alleged requests for sexual favors, with some complainants alleging more than one form of harassment, the ministry said.
By sector, 21 percent of the complaints were in the manufacturing industry, followed by the public sector (13.8 percent), and the medical, healthcare and social welfare segment (12 percent), it said.
Meanwhile, 60.2 percent, or 949 of the complaints were found to be legitimate after further investigation, 25.1 percent were not sufficiently substantiated for action to be taken and the remainder were still being reviewed, it said.
Employers are legally required to take action to remedy a situation once they become aware of sexual harassment, including helping employees to access counseling or other medical assistance, Wang said.
Private sector groups can also apply for subsidies to hold events promoting the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace until April 30, she said.
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