With her background in the human rights and democracy movements, Chen has long been a staunch defender of workers 'rights. A highpoint of her tenure at the CLA was the implementation of a new pensions system in July 2005.
以人權、民主運動起家，長期捍衛勞工權益的陳菊，在勞委會主委任內最主要的政績，首推在 2005 年 7 月施行的勞退新制。