Taiwan raises fines for gender discrimination in workplace
2014/11/21 15:50:05
Taipei, Nov. 21 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan passed a law amendment Friday to triple the fines for discrimination in the workplace on the basis of gender or sexual orientation.
Under the revised Act of Gender Equality in Employment, employers who discriminate against job applicants or employees based on gender or sexual orientation may now be subject to a fine of between NT$300,000 (US$9,702) and NT$1.5 million.
Prior to the amendment, the penalty was between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000.
A survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Labor on 3,283 companies around Taiwan found that 9 percent of employers tend to pay their workers differently based on gender.
Another 4.7 percent consider gender a factor in deciding on pay raises, the poll found.
Women's rights activist Tsai Wan-fen said gender stereotyping remains a serious problem among Taiwanese employers and that increasing the related penalties will help prevent discriminatory practices.
She also urged the government to provide friendlier channels for victims to file complaints, so that they would be encouraged to fight for their rights.
(By Chen Wen-ting, Chang Ming-hsuan and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/pc
Under the revised Act of Gender Equality in Employment, employers who discriminate against job applicants or employees based on gender or sexual orientation may now be subject to a fine of between NT$300,000 (US$9,702) and NT$1.5 million.
Prior to the amendment, the penalty was between NT$100,000 and NT$500,000.
A survey conducted last year by the Ministry of Labor on 3,283 companies around Taiwan found that 9 percent of employers tend to pay their workers differently based on gender.
Another 4.7 percent consider gender a factor in deciding on pay raises, the poll found.
Women's rights activist Tsai Wan-fen said gender stereotyping remains a serious problem among Taiwanese employers and that increasing the related penalties will help prevent discriminatory practices.
She also urged the government to provide friendlier channels for victims to file complaints, so that they would be encouraged to fight for their rights.
(By Chen Wen-ting, Chang Ming-hsuan and Y.F. Low)
ENDITEM/pc
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