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As media reports more on overwork, more and more people pay attention to health problems brought about by long working hours and work pressure, especially workrelated cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease (CCVDs). However, overwork does not only trigger CCVDs, but also stress; in Japan and Korea, the number of people suffering from mental illnesses and suicides due to workplace psychosocial hazards has been on the rise in recent years, and Taiwan is also facing the threat of workplace health problems caused by long working hours, work stress, and bullying in the workplace.
Regarding the health hazards brought about by workload, Taiwan's system still has a lot of room for improvement. Taking bully at workplace as an example, there is no clear definition of what “workplace bullying” is, and there is neither a law nor even a chapter in a law to regulate it. Thus, it’s unclear how workers may file complaints, or file complaints to whom. In addition, due to advancement in communications technology, it has become more common for work to penetrate into a worker’s private and family life. Moreover, because of the COVID pandemic in the past few years, many companies have adopted work from home schemes, which further blur the line between work and private life. This could have negative impacts on workers both psychologically and physically.
To prompt the government to deal more seriously with, and reduce threats to health due to work overload, Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link invited practitioners, lawyers, doctors, academics, and government representatives from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, France, and Taiwan to share their views on the problems of overwork, workplace bullying, and the strategies for solving these problems in their respective countries. This book is a record of the speeches delivered at each session for those interested in this topic.
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