TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- Migrant workers in Taiwan are now eligible for paid leave after one year of service, the Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Tuesday.



The new regulations stipulate that employers cannot refuse to grant paid vacation and certain other types of leave once the conditions are met, otherwise they will be fined NT$60,000 to NT$300,000 (US$1,974-US$9,870) and revocation of their permits to hire migrant workers, the ministry said.



Under the new regulations, migrant workers are granted with paid marriage leave, bereavement leave, and personal leave, in accordance with the Labor Standard Law, the Labor Contract Law and the Act of Gender Equality in Employment, which now cover such workers, the ministry said.



In the event that the employers have an urgent work situation, such as a large number of orders to fill, or cannot find a temporary replacement, they can negotiate with the employees on a mutually acceptable leave period, the MOL said.



If an agreement cannot be reached, the worker has the right to obtain leave for the required period, in accordance with the Employment Service Act, the ministry said.



The implementation of the new regulations took effect after an amendment last year to the Employment Service Act, which removed a requirement for migrant workers on the maximum three-year contracts to leave Taiwan for at least one day if they wished to return to be rehired.