MOL rolls out free video legal consultation service for workplace gender bias

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Tuesday launched a free video legal consultation service for workers facing suspected pregnancy or gender-based workplace discrimination, with migrant workers and foreign nationals employed in Taiwan also eligible.

"We hope to provide a consultation channel that is professional, private and convenient," Huang Chi-ya (黃琦雅), head of the MOL's Department of Labor Standards and Equal Employment, said at a press conference in Taipei.

She said the service would make workers less likely to feel intimidated about seeking help than other channels, such as filing complaints directly with local governments.

In partnership with the Legal Aid Foundation, the service opened for reservations on Tuesday and will begin offering one-on-one video consultations with lawyers on April 1 for workers who suspect they have faced pregnancy or gender-based discrimination, Huang said.

According to the MOL, workers, regardless of nationality, can also access the consultation service if they are concerned that their protections regarding maternity and paternity leave have been undermined or if they encounter workplace sexual harassment.

Legal Aid Foundation CEO Steven Chou (周漢威) said the service will be available to migrant workers and foreign employees in Taiwan who do not speak Mandarin, with interpretation assistance provided if needed.

Each consultation will last 40 minutes, with one lawyer on duty during each morning and afternoon service period on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he said.

He added that 33 specially trained lawyers have joined the video legal consultation program, with more being recruited.

Huang noted that an MOL survey conducted last year found that more than half of women felt pregnant workers faced discrimination in the workplace, while 27.8 percent said they had personally experienced such discrimination.

Among those who had experienced unfriendly treatment during pregnancy, 43 percent said they considered filing a complaint but had "concerns" that "their identities may be exposed" or that "the process will be lengthy and ineffective," she said.

The MOL last year released statistics from its 2024 workplace sexual harassment case reporting system, which showed that 1,577 complaints were filed, of which 949, or 60.2 percent, were substantiated and 396, or 25.1 percent, were unsubstantiated.

According to Huang, the video consultation service is expected to handle more than 600 cases a year and has been allocated a budget of NT$2 million (US$62,633), with funding adjustments to be made based on demand.