The rise in the number of elderly in Taiwan is often broadly couched as a demographic and economic challenge. But for the millions of families struggling to care for frail and disabled family members, the struggle is all too personal. Confucian cultural values of “filial piety” forbid the placement of elders in retirement homes or…
Low salaries and poor career prospects leave Taiwan’s pool of talent and youth vulnerable to China’s advances. When Eileen Chang’s university professor told her about an internship at an entertainment and sports company in Wuhan in central China, she was immediately intrigued. Chang (not her real name) had heard that salaries would likely be higher than…
The slow rate of economic growth is considered to be the major factor causing the stagnation in compensation levels. Why does nearly everyone in Taiwan feel they are working hard but still receiving a meager pay packet? “The biggest problem is the low rate of growth,” says Peng Su-ling, director of the Center for Economic…
BY NATHAN SNYDER AND JEFFREY LIEN Early this year, Taiwan’s legislature passed a set of amendments to the Labor Standards Act (LSA), Taiwan’s core statute governing labor and employment. These amendments, which were officially implemented on March 1, 2018, feature changes intended to provide greater flexibility to employers whose business needs may make compliance with the…
As part-time or short-term jobs become more common, Taiwan is considering legislation to regulate non-conventional employment. In Taiwan, as elsewhere across the globe, freelance and contingent work is on the rise as businesses shift their employment models away from the 9-to-5 jobs that have traditionally dominated labor markets. As of May 2016, according to survey…
When I arrived in a vibrant Taipei at the end of 1990, the young professionals I met were upwardly mobile and full of hope. Learning English was all the rage, and they diligently studied English in their spare time. Since arriving in Taiwan, I have been a teacher, trainer, coach, and consultant. These jobs have…
Company HR representatives cite an urgent need for greater flexibility. When Deputy Labor Minister Liau Huei-Fang accepted an invitation from AmCham Taipei’s Human Resources Committee to exchange views with Committee members about recently implemented amendments to the Labor Standards Law (LSL), more than 100 HR specialists showed up for the meeting on April 19. The…
The aging of Taiwan’s society is hitting its pension system hard, with fewer people paying into national pension schemes and more people drawing off them. Pension reform has been the subject of controversy for years, and with the Tsai administration putting its full weight behind it, the issue has erupted into a major conflagration, with…
BY PAUL J. CASSINGHAM AND JEFFREY LIEN Like many jurisdictions, Taiwan has long imposed restrictions on the enforceability of employee post-termination noncompetition agreements. For many years, Taiwan courts have enforced such agreements only if the employer had a business interest worthy of protection, and only if the scope and duration of the noncompetition obligation were…
After much controversy, a revised Labor Standards Law has now been enacted. Last November 22, AmCham Taipei sent a letter to the Ministry of Labor (MOL) expressing member companies’ concern over uncertainty being experienced in the scheduling of public holidays. The letter noted that both employers and employees had been inconvenienced during previous months by…
