TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Beginning August, Taiwan will enforce stricter penalties on medical centers and regional hospitals that violate labor standards, with fines starting at NT$50,000 (US$1,670).
The Ministry of Labor announced that hospitals accredited as “medical centers” or “regional hospitals” by the Ministry of Health and Welfare will now be held to the same legal standards as publicly listed companies. This change reflects the large scale of these institutions and their presumed ability to comply with comprehensive labor laws, per CNA.
The tightened regulations focus on key labor issues, including wages, working hours, overtime pay, rest periods, and holiday compensation. While the Labor Standards Act generally imposes fines ranging from NT$20,000 to NT$1 million for business violations, more stringent rules have previously applied only to publicly listed companies, firms with paid-in capital exceeding NT$100 million, and foreign enterprises.
Recent investigations uncovered widespread violations in hospitals, such as nurses working excessive hours without proper overtime compensation. The ministry emphasized that aligning penalties for these medical institutions with those for major companies is intended to highlight the importance of compliance and discourage repeated breaches of labor laws.
According to the health ministry's 2024 accreditation results, Taiwan currently has 22 medical centers. To qualify for “medical center” accreditation, hospitals must meet seven criteria, including maintaining at least 250 registered acute care beds, providing specialized dental services, and offering clinical care across at least three medical specialties as defined by specialist review guidelines.
For “regional hospital” accreditation, facilities must meet three main criteria, including having at least 250 registered acute care beds and being certified as a moderate-level emergency responsibility hospital or higher, in accordance with the health ministry’s hospital evaluation procedures.
Data from the labor ministry's employer violation inquiry system shows that in the past year, there were 688 cases of unpaid or underpaid overtime, 482 cases of exceeding maximum overtime hours, and 337 cases violating rest day regulations.
