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Author	Prof Yueh Hung Hou
Organisation/Institution	National Taipei University, College of Law
Country	TAIWAN (ROC)
Panel	Labor and Employment Law
Title	A study on the responsibility of the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace for the employers in Taiwan
Abstract	Under the impetus of women's group, the government of Taiwan has passed many laws and regulations to prevent, handle and solve sexual harassments. In January 2002, the Taiwanese government enacted the Act of Equality in Employment for Both Sexes, which was later renamed as the Act of Gender Equality in Employment in 2008. The act forbids gender discrimination, encouraging equality in employment as well as regulating the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. In 2023, with the frequent occurrence of sexual harassment incidents, numerous controversies and discussions were sparked, leading to amendments in regulations related to sexual harassment in the workplace. The amendments include expanding the scope of workplace sexual harassment, increasing punitive damages for those who commit sexual harassment by abusing power, and requiring local authorities to provide legal consultation or assistance to sexual harassment complainants. Additionally, employers are obligated to implement “immediate and effective corrective and remedial measures” once they know of the occurrence of sexual harassment, whether through a complaint or other means. Therefore, this study will primarily introduce the development of workplace sexual harassment regulations under the current Act of Gender Equality in Employment. It first outlines the background and practical developments before the amendments, then summarizes the content of the amendments, and finally discusses several issues for further consideration as a reference for Taiwanese theoretical studies and legislation in the future.
Biography	Yueh-Hung Hou is the Professor and Dean of College of Law at the National Taipei University. Dean Hou became Dean of College of Law in 2022. Dean Hou completed his Ph.D. at Hitotsubashi University, Japan in 2007. His scholarship primarily focuses on Labor Law, Civil Law and Japanese Law. He has published over 50 law review articles, book chapters, and other scholarly papers on a wide range of topics about labor law. His recent work includes “The Responsibility of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace for the Employers in Taiwan” in RECENT LABOUR LAW ISSUES: A MULTILEVEL PERSPECTIVE (ISBN: 978-88-921-2915-3). Torino – Italy: G. Giappichelli Editore. June 2019: PP 269-287. (MOST 106-2628-H-305-001), and “The Changes and Development of Collective Bargaining in Taiwan” in JAPAN LABOR ISSUES, VOL.1, NO.3 (2017). He is the author of Gender Equality: Theory and Practice(性別工作平等之理論與實踐), (1st ed. Taipei: Angle Publishing, 2021), Research on Labor Contract Jurisprudence(勞動契約法理之研究), (1st ed. Taipei: Angle Publishing, 2021), and Jurisprudence of Unfair Labor Practice(不當勞動行為法理之研究), (1st ed. Taipei: Angle Publishing, 2021). Dean Hou is also a member of Committee of Gender Equality in Employment and an member of Unfair Labor Practice Adjudication Commission in Ministry of Labour in Taiwan.