Sexual Harassment in the Workplace in Taiwan

台灣職場性騷擾之研究

本文旨在探討近年台灣職場性騷擾之相關問題,並分析2002年新通過的性別工作平等法對此一新興議題所作之回應。在引言與結論之外,本文主要的內容可以分為五個段落(第二節至第六節),第二節引用一些地方性的調查來說明台灣職場性騷擾問題的普遍與嚴重性。第三節試圖指出在性別工作平等法通過前,規範職場行為的相關法律規章對此一議題並未有效的進行處理。第四節將討論新通過之性別平等工作法涉及職場性騷擾的主要條文。第五節則針對這些法律條文,包括其優點、缺點與引起爭議之處,提供詳細的評論。最後,本文也將提供一些未來改進的方案,以改善雇主的行為、讓雇員能有效預防性騷擾行為的發生、或是在發生後能夠有效保障其自身的權利與利益。

The purpose of this paper is to provide a general account of the problem of sexual harassment in the workplace in Taiwan in recent years and to analyze how the newly-enacted Gender Equality in Employment Act of 2002 responds to this emerging issue. Aside from introductory and concluding remarks, the main contents of the paper are divided into five sections. Section II uses a number of local surveys to illustrate the prevalence and seriousness of sexual harassment problems at work in Taiwan. Section III points out that the legal regime governing workplace conduct and other related statutes before the enactment of the Gender Equality in Employment Act of 2002 were not suitably effective to handle this new issue. In Section IV, the major provisions dealing with sexual harassment at work in the newly-enacted Gender Equality in Employment Law will be discussed. Section V provides a detailed evaluation of the related provisions of the law, including their merits, shortcomings and controversial aspects. Finally, this paper offers several proposals for the employers to further improve their practices and for the employees to prevent these incidents from occurring, or if they do, to protect their rights and interests.