Your rights need no one's permission.
Today — July 15, 2026, the exact anniversary of the day martial law was lifted in Taiwan — The People's Gavel officially launches.
We chose this exact day on purpose. Thirty-plus years ago today, Taiwan broke free of martial law. But in many workplaces, another kind of martial law never lifted — people still don't ask for the overtime pay they're owed, don't take leave, don't say no, don't raise their own rights. We call what we're trying to do "workplace liberation."
First: translation
The first thing this platform does is translate. We turn Taiwan's Labor Standards Act — written for lawyers — into a tool every working person can search and use. How is severance calculated? How do you claim overtime? What's the first step after unlawful treatment? Everyone should be able to find these answers themselves, not have to beg for them.
Second: making voices count
Our Sentiment Tracker lets people register their view on labor issues and build visible momentum; our Politician Tracker objectively records what officials and legislators say publicly and whether they follow through — with sources, no mobilization, no endorsements. Just a record of who said what, and whether they did it.
Third: living freedom every day
Democracy shouldn't only exist on election day. Freedom shouldn't only exist on an anniversary. Whether a society is truly free is measured by whether the most ordinary person, in the most ordinary place, can live and work with dignity. Your rights need no one's permission.
The workplace hasn't been. This is where that changes.
One honest note, last
This team, right now, is one person. Every legal citation on this site is carefully checked, but I'm not a licensed attorney, and there will be gaps. So I'll say it upfront — this project is open. Lawyers, researchers, and anyone who's been wronged at work: your input, corrections, and collaboration are genuinely welcome.
I know what one person can build is limited.
But I believe a single starting point is enough to change the whole conversation.
You're welcome to be part of it.
About The People's Gavel: a free labor-rights education platform. Plain-language labor law FAQs, dispute data, an official employer-violation lookup, a sentiment tracker, and a politician accountability tracker. All tools are free, permanently.
Contact: peoplesgavel@gmail.com — media, partnerships, and legal collaborators all welcome.