Ministry to strengthen worker rights after flight attendant's death

Taipei, Nov. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) will move to strengthen legal protections for sick leave following the death in October of a flight attendant at a Taiwanese airline who worked while ill, Labor Minister Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) said Thursday.

● EVA Air investigating death of flight attendant who fell ill on duty

Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Hung said crew interviews conducted during the MOL investigation showed that EVA Air "excessively used" its evaluation management system, causing staff to believe that applying for sick leave would lead to punitive treatment.

The ministry will amend the Regulations of Leaves for Workers to state that when a worker takes no more than 10 days of sick leave in a year, the employer may not impose unfavorable treatment, he said.

At a news conference held Thursday afternoon, Deputy Labor Minister Lee Chien-hung (李健鴻) said the ministry convened a meeting on protecting the rights of workers to take sick leave on Nov. 10, gathering views from labor-employer groups, civil groups, central government ministries and agencies, and local governments.

He said the amendments to the Regulations of Leaves for Workers are underway and scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 next year, authorizing fines of between NT$20,000 and NT$1 million for employers who violate the rules.

According to the MOL's plan, once a worker claims they faced unfavorable treatment for taking sick leave, the employer will bear the burden of proof.

Employers will also not be allowed to withhold an employee's entire bonus due to partial-month sick leave.

The changes come after a 34-year-old flight attendant surnamed Sun (孫) died on Oct. 10 after serving on an EVA Air flight from Italy to Taiwan on Sept. 24. She had reported feeling unwell but worked anyway due to alleged pressure from management.

The MOL's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) interviewed cabin crew, the flight attendant's family members and trade union representatives, and conducted inspections with the Taoyuan City Office of Labor Inspection between Oct. 13 and Nov. 10.

It found that EVA Air's emergency procedures for sudden illness during duty were not detailed enough and were not properly implemented, among other shortcomings.

The ministry said that EVA Air's actions may have violated the Labor Standards Act, and ordered the airline to complete an investigation into workplace bullying within two months.