Executive Yuan approves draft amendments to Employment Service Act

To strengthen Taiwan's employment service framework, align with international conventions and further enhance the trustworthiness of Taiwan's products across global supply chains, the Executive Yuan on Thursday approved the Ministry of Labor's (MOL) proposed amendments to the Employment Service Act.

Premier Cho Jung-tai said that the amended law will prohibit employers or intermediaries from certain practices when recruiting, hiring or providing employment services. These include withholding the identification documents of job seekers or employees, misappropriating their personal property or collecting security deposits, with violators subject to penalties. The proposed amendments will better safeguard workers' autonomy over their identification documents, strengthening labor rights protections and allowing both local and migrant workers to work with greater peace of mind.

The premier emphasized that enhancing labor rights protections reflects both international trends and universal values, and expressed confidence that consensus will be reached across party lines. He instructed the MOL to actively communicate and coordinate with all legislative caucuses after the bill is submitted to the Legislative Yuan for deliberation, in order to facilitate the swift completion of the legislative process.