Corporate Governance

Human Rights Management

Issue Date:2023/12/18

Human Policies & Commitments

In support of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, emphasizing and with respect and practices of protection regarding human rights issues (including anti-discrimination, gender equality, freedom of association, collective bargaining, child labor, forced and compulsory labor, indigenous rights, etc.), Chunghwa Telecom has formulated Chunghwa Telecom Human Right Policy to regularly conduct human rights due diligence to ensure that various human rights issues across the value chain of its operation are assessed and recognized, along with management of risks to reduce such to minimum levels.

We publicly declare and commit ourselves to compliance with CHT Human Policies with relevant promotion and education mechanisms established. Training courses for human rights, labor, and related laws and regulations are available at Chunghwa Telecom Training Institute each year to ensure 100% understanding, compliance, and implementation of the policies by our employees. Courses and trainings are organized in response to amendments to laws and regulations concerning labor/human rights or shifts in labor policy issues from time to time.5 courses for 24 hours in total were offered to 276 participants in 2023.

In order to implement gender equality, we launched the Female Power Star Project in 2023 and held "Successful Female CEO Career Lecture", "Workplace Stress Relief Lectures", "Parenting Expert Lectures", and "Gender Equality! Yes, I Do” experience activities, with a total of more than 3,000 participants. We pay attention to how employees strike a among work, themselves, and family, and promote employees' awareness of gender equality.

We actively promote digital rights. Through the ICT technology, we endeavor to create an environment without technological and information barriers, so that cultural inheritance, education extension, industry promotion, as well as art and humanities promotion can all be connected via networks. Hence, any and all people may be benefited from digital technology, regardless of age, social status, geographical factors, and education level, so as to achieve information equality and create infinite possibilities.

Based on the characteristics of the information and communication industry, Chunghwa Telecom adheres to the spirit of "where value lies, responsibility lies," with the aim of "narrowing the digital divide and creating digital opportunities." We deeply engage with rural communities in Taiwan, observe the trends of digital divide, and propose various solutions to actively promote social innovation and digital inclusion. At the same time, we devote efforts to promote corporate volunteerism, encouraging participation in local community services, and assisting in creating digital opportunities for the local communities.

Support and Response to the International Conventions & Human Rights Obligations
  • The core spirits of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and ILO Conventions forbid any form of discrimination, forced labor, or use of child labor.
  • CHT responded to the domesticalization of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, strengthening the elevation of human rights awareness, so that stakeholders are treated with respect and fair.
  • Upholding the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, CHT regularly conducts human rights due diligence.
 

Survey & Results of Human Rights Due Diligence

In Compliance with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Chunghwa Telecom respects and upholds various human rights recognized internationally with no involvement in any practice that ignores or abuses human rights. We have established the labor unions and sign on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, firmly upholds the employees’ freedom of assembly and association, as well as recognizes and protects the rights of the labor-management collective negotiation. Meanwhile, through the yearly human rights due diligence survey, we are committed to removal of any practice in the value chain of the industry that violates human rights.

Results of Human Rights Assessment of Value Chain in 2022
Target in the Value Chain No. of Branch Offices/Stores Assessment Mechanisms Percentage Assessed Percentage at Ris Target in the Value Chain
Subordinate institutions 28
  • Labor-management conference
  • Collective Bargaining
  • Labor union meetings
  • Annual human rights survey
100 % 2.6%
  • Violations against the social regulations and OHS by certain institutions, which are tracked and managed continuously
  • Protection of labor rights through labor unions and the Collective Bargaining Agreement
  • No risk related to promotion of labor environment in 2022
Subsidiaries 19 Annual ESG implementation status survey 100 %
Investee companies 15 Annual ESG implementation status survey 100 % 2.7%
  • Violation against the social regulations by certain investee companies, for which advice for correction have been offered, along with ongoing tracking and management in the future
Upstream/Downstream suppliers Tier 1 1,915
  • ESG desk review for suppliers
  • Second party audit on sustainability
  • OHS audit
100 % 0.2%
  • Violations of the labor laws and regulations by certain suppliers
  • Ongoing tracking of suppliers identified as at risk for corrective measures and implementation status via ESG trainings, exchanges, and relevant means
Significant Tier 1 187
Significant Tier 2 23
General public All consumers
  • Diversified grievance channels (those for discrimination or harassment included)
  • Service satisfaction survey
  • Personal information and privacy protection survey
  • Minority serving mechanisms
100 % 0 %
  • No incident of discrimination/harassment or violation of customer privacy/personal information in 2022
  • Ongoing promotion of 5I SDGs initiative to ensure information equality among different groups

Human Rights Mitigation and Remediation

Chunghwa Telecom actively establishes and promotes rigorous management processes for human rights risks, committed to the protection of human rights of various stakeholders.

Management Process for Human Rights Risks Description
Policy Commitment
  • Chunghwa Telecom Human Right Policy has been stipulated and publicly available.
Identification
  • Human rights risk assessment is conducted regularly to identify and assess human rights issues that may affect businesses. The channels include labor-management meetings, internal and external opinion platforms, etc.
Analysis
  • Understand and analyze the types, causes, and impacts of human rights risks that have occurred, and further communicate with stakeholders if necessary.
Remedial Measure Planning
  • The responsible department for human rights incidents/issues assesses the operation and scope for correction and plans for the mitigation and remedial measures that follow.
Action Integration
  • After implementation of the mitigation and remedial measures, the effectiveness of implementation is to be tracked regularly, and adjusted on a rolling basis if necessary.
  • Ongoingly conduct employee training/promotion to enhance the awareness of human rights issues, which are integrated and applied to the everyday operations of the Company.

Focus: All Employees
Coverage: 100% Operating Sites

Human Rights Topic Risk Assessment Mitigation and Remediation
Safe and healthy working environment for employees
  • ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management
  • Employee health checkups
  • Trainings on occupational health and safety
  • Implementation of high-risk operation management and environment optimization to reduce occupational accidents
  • On-site health services by contracted medical staff
  • Development of management tools to improve management timeliness
  • Health lectures
No forced labor or use of child labor
  • Calling of labor-management meeting and establishment of grievance mechanism
  • Recruitment alert mechanism
  • Labor-management meeting to facilitate communication and understanding
  • Compliance with the laws and regulations pertaining to working hours, while any violation thereof subject to immediate remediation and review
  • Negotiation meeting for any change to labor terms
  • Warning and prevention of employment application through system management for any system log-in by individuals under the age of 18 in order to ensure no misuse of child labor
Freedom of Assembly and Association
  • Establishment of communication mechanism that is standing, mutually trusting, and effective
  • Establishment of labor union and signing of collective bargaining agreement with it
  • Labor-management meeting at least once every three months
  • Enhancing labor-management communication and dialogue mechanism
Sexual Harassment
  • Appeal Review Committee of 5-9 members established with the percentage of female members no less than 50%
  • Hotline and email box for appeal handling set up with relevant information disclosed publicly in workplace
  • Individual that handles, investigates, or reviews an appeal regarding sexual harassment to recuse himself/herself if necessary
  • Personnel encouraged to take trainings related to sexual harassment prevention and correction
  • Tracking, reviewing, and monitoring appeals to ensure an effective implementation of the resolution thereof
  • Referral of any individual in need of counseling or medical attention to professional counseling or medical institution
Promotion of Employees’ Physical Fitness and Life Balance
  • Early warning and notification mechanism established for employees
  • Dedicated management unit for occupational health and safety
  • Set-up of employee suggestion channels
  • Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) as well as psychological, managerial, health, and legal counseling services
  • Organizing hiking, cultural, and sports activities based on the feedbacks of employees
  • Installing fitness facilities
  • Up to 30 hostels in Taiwan to encourage employees to take leaves with the leisure accommodation provided
  • The flexible working hours system in force
  • Childcare policies implemented for employees to strike a balance between family and work:
    - Childcare subsidies for employee with children aged 0-6
    - The option for employee with child aged 3 or under to apply for 1-hour working hour reduction per day (with pay)
    - Early childhood care and education center at workplace available for the children and grandchildren of employees
 

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