TAIWAN WORKPLACE COMPLIANCE
| Key Takeaways |
|---|
| — The new workplace bullying provisions took effect on July 1, 2026. |
| — Clients may still have legal responsibilities when using an EOR. The EOR has employer obligations, while clients that direct or supervise employees at their workplace may also have related duties. |
| — Employers must publish complaint channels at 10+ workers, establish prevention rules and a complaint-handling unit at 30+, and form investigation teams at 100+ when investigating bullying complaints. |
| — Employers must protect workers promptly, decide whether to accept complaints within 10 working days of receipt, investigate fairly, and retain process and outcome records for three years. |
| — When the respondent qualifies as the organization's statutory highest-ranking official, workers may file bullying complaints directly with the municipal or county (city) competent authority. |
| — Penalties depend on the violation and liable party. The NT$4.5 million ceiling under Article 43 applies only when the statutory grounds for an increased fine are met. |
In This Guide
1. What Does Taiwan Workplace Bullying Law Cover in 2026?
2. What Are Employers' Duties Under Taiwan's Workplace Bullying Rules?
3. How Should Employers Handle a Workplace Bullying Complaint?
4. What Penalties Can Employers Face for Workplace Bullying?
5. What Should Foreign Employers and EOR Clients Check?
6. Prepare Your Taiwan Team Before the First Complaint
7. Frequently Asked Questions About Taiwan Workplace Bullying Law
Last reviewed: November 2026
When you hire an employee in Taiwan through an Employer of Record (EOR), the EOR is the legal employer, while your company may direct the employee's daily work. Clarify who handles bullying complaints, what each company must do, and how employee headcount is calculated under Taiwan's rules.
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If that employee raises a bullying complaint, who receives it? Who arranges support? Who coordinates the response when the employment provider and the person directing daily work are different?
Understanding Taiwan workplace bullying law starts with those practical questions. A policy copied from headquarters can leave local procedures, reporting contacts, and decision-making responsibilities unclear. This guide helps foreign employers organize their prevention policies, complaint response, and local employment support around their Taiwan team.
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. Taiwan's rules and how authorities apply them can change, so confirm details with the Ministry of Labor (MOL) or a qualified Taiwan employment-law professional before you act.
For employers, Taiwan's workplace bullying framework is the starting point for understanding how harmful workplace conduct is defined and addressed. It is set out in the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) and related regulations. The new workplace bullying provisions took effect on July 1, 2026, covering employer prevention duties, complaint handling, investigations, and review procedures.
Conduct by customers, vendors, or other people outside the worker's business entity may fall outside this statutory workplace-bullying definition, but employers may still have prevention and response duties under Taiwan's broader rules on unlawful workplace infringement.
For a multilingual team, keep the original wording of messages alongside any translation. Ask for clarification where tone or meaning is disputed. An English summary for headquarters can lose details from a Chinese-language exchange, so find someone who can help interpret them accurately.
Specific feedback about a missed deadline is different from repeated personal insults in a team meeting. The task, wording, delivery, working relationship, and surrounding events help explain what happened.
Taiwan's workplace bullying prevention regulations (職場霸凌防治措施準則) set requirements according to employer headcount. Count workers employed by the business entity who receive wages for their work. Under Article 3, where the business operates in different regions, the entity's workers in each region are counted separately.
| Area | Headcount requirement | Legal requirements | Relevant articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention and employee protection | All sizes | Provide a workplace free from bullying, take appropriate prevention and response measures, and protect the privacy of those involved. | Article 4 |
| Protection against retaliation | All sizes | Do not dismiss or demote workers, reduce their pay, or otherwise subject them to adverse treatment for filing or assisting with complaints under the Act. Protect their rights under law, contract, or established practice. The statutory exception applies where malicious fabrication of facts has been proven. | Article 20 |
| Published complaint channels | 10 or more workers | Establish complaint channels, such as email, a dedicated mailbox, telephone, fax, or designated messaging software. Publicize them prominently at the workplace through written, electronic, or other readily accessible information. | Article 5(1) and (2) |
| Education and training | 30 or more workers | Provide workplace bullying prevention training for personnel. Managers at all levels and personnel involved in investigations, complaint handling, coordination, or review must also receive training in communication skills, management, and complaint procedures. | Article 6(3) and (4) |
| Written policies and a designated responsible unit | 30 or more workers | Establish and publish bullying prevention measures and rules for complaints and discipline. Designate a responsible unit to coordinate implementation. The rules must address investigator qualifications and conflicts of interest. | Article 6(1) and (2) |
| Complaint-handling unit | 30 or more workers | Establish a complaint-handling unit with at least three members. Each gender must account for at least one-third of its membership. | Article 9(1) |
| Investigation-team composition | 100 or more workers | When investigating a bullying complaint, form a team within 15 working days of accepting it, with members selected by the complaint-handling unit. The team must have at least three members, with external professionals making up at least half and each gender accounting for at least one-third. | Article 14(1) and (2) |
| Investigation-team qualifications | 100 or more workers | Members from the business entity must receive at least three hours of bullying prevention training through courses provided by the competent authority or a labor inspection agency, or through the central authority's online platform. External professionals must have experience handling labor rights or related matters. | Article 14(3) and (4) |
A reporting channel needs an owner. Assign someone to monitor it, a backup for absences, and an alternative contact when the usual recipient is involved in the complaint. For an international team, make sure employees know which language they can use and whom to contact across time zones. These reporting options should remain accessible outside the office, with working links and up-to-date contact details.
Discuss how to give performance feedback, allocate work consistently, respond to concerns, and avoid personal attacks. Test the process with a realistic scenario so managers understand how to hand a concern to HR without trying to resolve it informally.
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Taiwan's workplace bullying prevention regulations (職場霸凌防治措施準則) set the following requirements:
| Area | Employer duty or deadline | Relevant articles |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint records | Record oral or email complaints and have the complainant confirm their accuracy. Obtain signed or stamped complaint records containing the required details and evidence. | Article 8(1) and (2) |
| Immediate protection | Take immediate protective measures when aware of workplace bullying. | Article 7 |
| Investigation and evidence | Conduct an unbiased inquiry, secure evidence, apply recusal requirements, send written notices, document interviews with audio/video support, and prohibit compelled confrontations. | Articles 12, 15 and 16 |
| Confidentiality | Handle complaints privately and protect personal information throughout the process. | Article 8(4), Article 16 |
| Acceptance decision | Decide whether to accept a complaint within 10 working days of receipt, and notify the complainant in writing. If the complaint is rejected, explain the reasons. | Article 10 |
| Complaint and outcome registration | Register accepted complaints within seven working days from the day after acceptance, and notify the complainant. Register complaint outcomes within 10 working days from the date of the reasoned decision. |
Article 11, Article 19 |
| Investigation and decision deadlines | Fewer than 30 workers: decide within three months from the day after receipt. 30 to 99 workers: decide within four months from the same starting date. Either period may be extended by one month when necessary, with notice to the parties. 100 or more workers: form an investigation team within 15 working days of acceptance. Complete the report within two months from the day after team formation; a one-month extension is permitted when necessary, with notice to the parties. Mediation periods are excluded. Decide within one month after report completion. |
Article 14, Article 17, Article 18, Article 21 |
| Written outcome notices | Notify the parties in writing within 10 working days of the complaint decision. Include the facts, reasons, and applicable review procedure and deadline. | Article 18(3) |
| Internal review | Parties may request review in writing, with reasons, within 30 days from the day after receiving written notice, once per case. Employers must hold a review meeting within 10 working days of receiving the request. The complaint-handling unit must issue a reasoned decision within 30 days from the meeting date, extendable by 30 days if reinvestigation is required. Employers must notify both parties in writing, stating facts and reasons, and register the result within 10 working days of the review decision. For reinvestigation, follow Article 22's team-composition requirements rather than automatically applying the initial investigation team's external-member ratio.¹ Employers with fewer than 30 workers may follow these procedures voluntarily. |
Article 22, Article 23 |
| Record retention | Retain records of prevention measures and complaint, coordination, investigation, and review processes and outcomes for three years. | Article 26 |
¹ Reinvestigation is required if the review meeting identifies major procedural defects or new evidence that could affect the original findings. The team must have at least three members, including at least two-thirds external professionals for employers with 100+ workers, or at least one external professional for those with 30 to 99 workers. Each gender must represent at least one-third of the team.
The following steps offer practical guidance for HR teams handling workplace bullying complaints.
Acknowledge the report respectfully. Record the people involved, the alleged conduct, relevant dates, available documents, and any immediate concerns about safety or continued contact.
Explain who will handle the information and what happens next. Avoid promising a particular finding or complete secrecy. Employees need a realistic explanation of how information may be used in a fair investigation.
Ask what support the employee needs. Depending on the circumstances, review their reporting arrangements, meeting participation, and work assignments, and consider whether changes are needed. Help them access appropriate support where needed.
Review any proposed change carefully to avoid putting the employee at an unnecessary disadvantage.
Preserve relevant messages, emails, meeting records, and assignment histories through an appropriate process. Limit access to people involved in handling the matter and obtain advice before transferring sensitive records across borders.
Choose impartial investigators. Investigators must recuse themselves where Article 15 requires it. An investigation involving a senior manager needs particular care around reporting relationships and decision-making authority.
Give the parties an opportunity to explain events and respond to allegations. Notify them in writing of the investigation's purpose, time, location, and consequences of nonattendance. Support interviews with audio or video recordings and keep interview records. Interviewees must not make their own audio or video recordings.
Do not require the parties or people assisting the investigation to confront one another. Compare accounts with available records, document gaps, and separate allegations from established facts.
Before arranging mediation, confirm that it is suitable for the circumstances and that participation is voluntary. Do not pressure an employee to meet with the person they have reported or withdraw their complaint to preserve team harmony.
Stop mediation if either party is unwilling to participate or if no agreement has been reached more than one month after mediation began. If mediation fails, continue the investigation and take other immediate and effective measures. Document the outcome and next steps. Do not assume that an informal agreement satisfies all legal requirements.
Under Article 17, time spent in mediation is excluded from the deadline for completing the investigation report.
Document the findings, reasoning, and approved actions. Explain the outcome through the appropriate process, including any available review route. Set responsibility for implementing actions and completing required records or registrations.
Follow-up matters too. Confirm that agreed changes have been implemented, assess whether the employee can work effectively, and check for any new concerns. Closing a case does not necessarily mean the working environment has improved.
Maintain a case chronology showing when information arrived, who received it, which actions were considered, and how decisions were communicated. Track verified legal deadlines separately from internal response targets.
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Under Articles 2, 3 and 7, employees may submit a written complaint directly to the relevant municipal or county (city) competent authority. The complaint must be signed or stamped and include identifying details, the facts, and relevant evidence. For private organizations, this route applies to complaints against the organization's legal representative or a person in an equivalent role who qualifies as its highest-ranking official under the law.
For complaints against the organization's highest-ranking official filed with the municipal or county (city) competent authority, the complaint generally must be filed within three years after the bullying ends, as set out in Article 6 of the complaint regulations. Workers who were employed when the incident occurred may also file within one year after leaving employment. The longer filing period applies.
Workers may also complain to the competent authority or a labor inspection agency about occupational safety and health violations, suspected occupational disease, or physical or psychological harm under Article 39, or seek oversight under Article 24 if dissatisfied with their employer's workplace bullying investigation findings.
Penalty exposure needs to be assessed against the specific conduct, applicable provision, and liable party. Keep procedural failures, individual conduct, and cases involving qualifying harm separate in the assessment.
| Situation requiring legal assessment | Penalty details to confirm | Relevant articles |
|---|---|---|
| Missing prevention measures or complaint arrangements | NT$30,000 to NT$750,000 for failing to implement required prevention measures, complaint channels, or published rules after receiving a correction notice and failing to meet its deadline. | Article 45(1)(1) |
| Complaint handling or investigation failures | NT$30,000 to NT$750,000 for breaching required complaint-response or investigation duties, or failing to conduct a required reinvestigation. Failures to act on bullying learned of without a complaint, or to register complaints and outcomes, carry this range after an unmet correction deadline. Obstructing or refusing statutory inspections or investigations: NT$50,000 to NT$3,000,000. | Article 45(1)(1) and (2), Article 43(1)(6) |
| Cases involving qualifying harm or aggravating circumstances | NT$50,000 to NT$3,000,000 when breaches of specified prevention or response duties cause an occupational disease or work-related illness. Fines under Articles 43 and 45 may be increased by up to 50% of the relevant statutory maximum. When this statutory increase applies, fines may reach NT$4.5 million under Article 43 and NT$1.125 million under Article 45. These are possible increased ceilings, not the default fines for every violation. | Article 43, Article 45 |
| Conduct by the highest-ranking official | NT$10,000 to NT$1,000,000, imposed on the highest-ranking official found to have engaged in workplace bullying. For private organizations, covered roles include the organization's legal representative or another person meeting the statutory criteria. | Article 46(1), External complaint regulations, Articles 2 and 3 |
For each relevant provision, confirm what triggers enforcement, whether corrective action is part of the process, and how any aggravating condition applies. Keep administrative fines separate from other forms of liability.
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Slasify's Employer of Record (EOR) service supports full-time hiring without establishing a local entity, with employment contracts, payroll, and a dedicated account manager. For companies hiring their first employee in Taiwan, this provides a point of contact for discussing employment arrangements and available local support.
Before onboarding, clarify and document the following:
—Where the employee reports a concern and who acknowledges it.
—Who coordinates immediate support and necessary management changes.
—How relevant records reach the people handling the matter.
—Who participates in fact-finding and communicates decisions.
—Which services, professional advice, and investigation support are included or need separate arrangements.
Using an EOR does not eliminate workplace responsibilities. In a typical EOR arrangement, the EOR is the legal employer and is responsible for the employer obligations that apply to it. The client company may also have duties when it directs or supervises the worker at its workplace under Article 51(2).
For a broader overview of hiring in Taiwan, see Slasify's Taiwan Employment Guide.
Review your reporting channels, policy ownership, manager preparation, and local support arrangements together. Test them against a realistic concern: can an employee report it, can the recipient act, and can the relevant teams coordinate fairly?
That exercise turns Taiwan workplace bullying law into a practical management conversation. It also helps identify gaps worth resolving before your team grows.
Planning your first hire in Taiwan?
Book a consultation with Slasify to discuss your EOR setup, available in-country support, and the responsibilities your managers and employing organization need to clarify before a workplace concern arises.
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Yes. A single serious incident may also qualify as workplace bullying if the other statutory requirements are met. Under Article 22-1, ongoing conduct is not required in serious cases. Record the conduct, context, and impact before deciding how to classify it. Preserve evidence and obtain a locally informed assessment of the incident.
Under Articles 2, 3, 6 and 7, when the respondent qualifies as the organization's statutory highest-ranking official, workers may use this special procedure to complain directly to the relevant municipal or county (city) competent authority. The complaint must be written, signed or stamped, include the required details and evidence, and meet the applicable filing deadlines.
It depends on the actual employment and workplace arrangements. Using an EOR does not automatically remove applicable workplace bullying duties. The employer must fulfill statutory prevention and response obligations, while the client may also have duties where the employee works at its workplace under the workplace manager's direction or supervision.
Yes. Employers of all sizes must take appropriate measures to prevent and respond to workplace bullying. Employers with 10 or more workers must publish complaint channels, while those with 30 or more must establish and publish prevention, complaint, and disciplinary rules. Apply the statutory headcount calculation when determining which requirements apply.
Keep complaint records, supporting evidence, interview records, decisions, and records of prevention, mediation, investigation, and internal review processes and outcomes. Article 26 requires retaining process and outcome records for three years. Under Article 16, protect identifying information, subject to exceptions for investigation needs or public safety.
Sources: MOL announcement on the new workplace bullying provisions, Occupational Safety and Health Act, Workplace bullying prevention regulations, and Highest-ranking official complaint regulations.
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