- Accept or rejectWithin ten working days of receiving the complaint (Art. 10)
- System registrationWithin seven working days from the day after acceptance (Art. 11)
- Investigation panelFor employers with 100+ workers, within 15 working days of acceptance (Art. 14)
- Investigation reportWithin two months after panel formation; a one-month extension is possible (Art. 17)
- DecisionWithin one month after the report; special overall periods apply below 100 workers (Arts. 18, 21)
- RecordsRetain for three years (Art. 26)
Duties depend on workforce size
| Workers employed | Main duties |
|---|---|
| 10 or more | Set up a complaint channel and display it prominently at work (Art. 5). |
| 30 or more | Also establish and display prevention, complaint and disciplinary rules; appoint a dedicated unit; provide training (Art. 6). Set up a complaint-handling unit with at least three members and at least one-third of each gender (Art. 9). |
| 100 or more | Also establish an investigation panel within 15 working days after accepting a complaint (Art. 14). |
Count employees who work for wages. If operations are spread across different areas, count each area's unit separately (Art. 3).
Accepting or declining a complaint
A complaint may be made orally, by email or in writing. Intake staff must record and confirm oral or emailed complaints (Art. 8). Decide whether to accept within ten working days of receipt and notify the complainant in writing; give reasons for a refusal (Art. 10). After acceptance, register the case in the prescribed system within seven working days from the next day (Art. 11).
Permitted grounds to decline include: the matter is not workplace bullying; it lacks concrete content, a real name or identifying information; the same incident was already rejected or finally resolved; it was withdrawn; or the complaint period has expired (Art. 10(2)).
Immediate measures once you know
When notified by a complaint, consider the complainant's wishes, take separation or other protective measures without adverse treatment, provide or refer legal, medical or psychological support as needed, begin an investigation, and discipline or otherwise address the person involved according to the result (Art. 7). If you learn of the conduct another way, interview those involved, clarify the circumstances and tell the affected worker about available rights.
Voluntary coordination
If the complainant wishes, coordination is possible with a coordinator accepted by the parties. Stop it and continue investigating if either party no longer wishes to coordinate or no agreement is reached within one month (Art. 13). Coordination time during the investigation does not count toward the report deadline (Art. 17).
Conducting the investigation
- Panel for 100+ workers: At least three members, at least half external professionals, and at least one-third of each gender. Internal members need at least three hours of prevention training (Art. 14).
- Recusal: A party or a member with a specified family relationship must recuse. Parties may seek recusal where concrete circumstances suggest bias (Art. 15).
- Procedure: Give written notice, record interviews on audio or video, do not make the parties confront one another, preserve evidence and protect identities (Art. 16(1)).
- Deadline: Complete the report within two months from the day after the panel is formed. A necessary one-month extension requires notice to the parties (Art. 17).
Decision, discipline and review
The complaint-handling unit must decide within one month after the report is complete. At least half its members must attend, and a majority of attendees must agree (Art. 18). Notify the parties in writing within ten working days of the decision, including how and when to request a review.
Discipline must reflect the seriousness of the conduct and take into account the extent of physical and mental harm, frequency and methods, the parties' relationship and later conduct, and the impact on the employer (Art. 19). A party may seek one review within 30 days from the day after receiving notice (Art. 22); the unit must decide within 30 days after its review meeting begins (Art. 23).
An employer with fewer than 30 workers must decide within three months from the day after receiving the complaint; one with 30–99 workers has four months. A necessary one-month extension is possible with notice to the parties (Art. 21).
Register the result in the system within ten working days after deciding (Art. 19(3)). An authority or labor inspector may order a new investigation if it finds a violation of the Regulations and a major procedural defect; the employer may not refuse (Regulations, Art. 24; Occupational Safety and Health Act, Art. 22-2(5)). Follow up on discipline and review prevention rules (Art. 25).
Records and related procedures
Record the prevention, intake, coordination, investigation and review process and outcomes, and retain those records for three years (Art. 26). If workplace sexual harassment is involved, apply the relevant procedures while avoiding repeated questioning (Art. 27). An incident that occurred before the Regulations took effect but was accepted afterward is completed under the new rules (Art. 28).
Potential fines
| Situation | Fine (NT$) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Failure to take immediate effective measures, investigate or register as required; some violations require an unheeded correction notice | 30,000–750,000; may rise to 1,125,000 | Occupational Safety and Health Act, Art. 45 |
| Breach of prevention or immediate-measure duties causes an occupational or work-related disease | 50,000–3,000,000; may rise to 4,500,000 | Same Act, Art. 43(1)(3) |
| The organization's most senior person in charge is found to have committed workplace bullying | 10,000–1,000,000 | Same Act, Art. 46(1) |
This page provides general information, not individual legal advice.