In conjunction with the newly added dedicated chapter on workplace bullying prevention under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which came into effect on July 1, 2026, the Ministry of Labor revised and announced the 5th edition of the “Guidelines for Prevention of Unlawful Infringement During the Performance of Duties” (hereinafter referred to as the “Reference Guidelines”) on July 14, 2026. 

The Ministry of Labor stated that following the amendment to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, a dedicated chapter on workplace bullying prevention and a complaint-handling mechanism have been established, and workplace bullying incidents should be handled in accordance with those provisions as a priority. As for other types of unlawful infringement, they shall continue to be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Facility Rules. Accordingly, the purpose of this revision is to clearly delineate the scope of applicable laws for each type of case. 

The key points of the revision to the Reference Guidelines are as follows: 

1. Clarification of Case Routing: Incidents involving sexual harassment, stalking harassment, employment discrimination, and workplace bullying shall be handled in accordance with their respective dedicated laws or regulations on a priority basis. The Reference Guidelines apply to the prevention, reporting, investigation, handling, and improvement measures for workplace unlawful infringement other than the aforementioned incidents. 
2. Strengthening the Responsibility of Senior Management and Building an Organizational Prevention Culture: Corporate management is required to clearly declare a policy for the prevention of unlawful infringement in the workplace, establish a fair and reasonable complaint and handling mechanism, and supervise managers at all levels in fulfilling their managerial responsibilities. 
3. Assessment of External Unlawful Infringement Risks and Worker Protection: Identification and assessment of hazards originating from outside the organization are to be strengthened, and corresponding handling procedures established. Where frontline workers are subjected to malicious complaints, verbal abuse, threats, or violence from customers, members of the public, or other third parties, employers are required to prioritize worker safety and provide legal, medical, or psychological counseling assistance and protective measures as needed on a case-by-case basis. 
4. Publication of Complaint Channels and Establishment of Complete Investigation and Handling Procedures: Business entities are required to establish and publish multiple complaint channels (integration with complaint windows for workplace bullying, workplace sexual harassment, etc. is also recommended), designate dedicated personnel to receive cases, and establish complete reporting, investigation, and handling procedures. 
5. Balancing Safety Management and Privacy Protection: When installing surveillance equipment in the workplace, employers are required to balance the need for safety management with the protection of workers’ privacy rights, and surveillance equipment must not be installed in highly private spaces such as restrooms and changing rooms. 

Finally, relevant enterprises are encouraged to take this opportunity to review and establish comprehensive prevention, reporting, investigation, and handling mechanisms, so as to strengthen organizational management and worker support measures.