Museum recruiting agency in gender discrimination scandal

Recruiting agency Chien Tai Chang (仟代昌) had demanded medical reports from female applicants that showed they were not pregnant before considering their applications. The Gender Equality in Employment committee of the Council of Labor Affairs initially found this practice to be illegal and discriminatory against women, and passed the case to the Gender Equality in Employment committee of Taichung City.

The Gender Equality in Employment Act stated “Employers shall not treat job applicants or employees discriminatorily because of their gender in the course of recruitment...”

The city government committee, however, said that because the recruiting agency had recruited female applicants, the agency did not discriminate against female applicants.

This provoked outrage from the National Independent Labor Union (全國自主勞工聯盟), who appealed to the Council of Labor Affairs. The council, who reconsidered the case a few days ago, overruled the city government's decision and said the practice was discriminatory because the agency did not ask male applicants for the same proof. The Council said the recruiting agency should be punished.

The recruiting agency had already been accused of other unfair treatments of Museum employees in the past, such as paying unreasonably low salaries, hiring receptionists and representatives as security staff, not paying for overtime, and not giving staff annual leave.

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