Ive been with my school for almost 2 years and now suddenly they want profiles and updated resumes on all the teachers, which is ok, but they also want my ARC and passport number. Is it safe (and usual) for schools to ask for this info? What happens if those numbers get into the wrong hands?
I don’t get the problem - if you’re working legally, wouldn’t the school already have that info?
Even if you already had an open work permit and they didn’t need to apply for your work permit/ARC, I would have thought they’d at least want your ID number and need to confirm you had work rights.
I don’t think ID numbers are that private or sensitive in Taiwan. People use them for loads of stuff.
8 Likes
Also, your ARC number doubles as a tax-id and an ID number for NHI etc… The fact that they could pay you in the past without knowing it, sounds like you have been paid under the table previously (and probably your health and labor insurance also haven’t been paid).
10 Likes
Your ARC card has your passport number on it, so every time its used for identification they have both numbers.
I would have thought your employer would have had this anyway for insurance, not just accident and injury but also public and professional liability.
3 Likes
I only work 2 hours a week for them which I think is the reason why they never asked me for any id … until now.
Which would mean that you have been paid under the table illegally and now the school wants to rectify this by going legit? Is that correct?
Since you’re on a JFRV marriage based ARC, you’ve got open-work rights, but that status doesn’t give you permission to avoid reporting your earnings and paying taxes on them.
2 Likes
ARC numbers (and by extension, passport numbers) are not private or confidential information. They are used to identify you, and obviously it is important for your employer to know your identity. It’s ok to give it to them.
They should have asked you for this info when you started your employment with them, to make sure you’re not a criminal or child molester, and that you are here working legally. They probably didn’t do any due diligence when they hired you, and are now making up for it.
2 Likes
In addition, I can’t remember exactly, but someone will pull the facts out for us, there have been some recent cases of issues in buxibans and kindergartens (deaths of kids or injuries or drugging, I can’t remember) and now the government is tightening up and enforcing the rules about having their employee roles accurate and up to date.
I believe that all schools are now required, or have always been required to keep an up to date list of all employees names, id numbers, etc on hand for inspection, but until super recent hasn’t been enforced.
I have a Taiwanese friend who works as an English teacher in a private kindergarten. She had to copy her National ID card and give it to the boss and also she had to attend a mandatory CPR/First Aid class in order to be in compliance with government regulations that require a certain number of employees on staff to be CPR certified, etc. She’s worked for this kindergarten for over 10 years and they never reported her income or gave her a tax withholding record at a the end of the year in the past. That has all changed. They now report her income, withhold for health insurance and labor insurance and have her on their roles as an official employee, just not as an English teacher.
So, something or somethings recently have prompted the tightening up of rules and regulations. Again, I don’t remember why or what. Anyone know?
2 Likes
Good to see that Taiwan is finally catching up with the rest of the developed world and actually enforcing laws.
1 Like
I think that with recent issues the schools are getting worried about getting caught having inconsistent employee lists and getting hammered with fines or possible shutdown, so at least in the case of my friend’s kindergarten, they want to get their ducks in a row before the axe falls.
She’s very happy about it as now she has an earnings record and it pays into her future retirement and she doesn’t need to pay her health insurance all on her own. It was the kindergarten itself that hasn’t wanted to carry her on their roles and/or report her income or deduct for labor insurance or health insurance since the day they hired her. Now, at least she is legit and is happy with it.
2 Likes
Schools also get audited every 4 or 5 years…forgot how frequently. So things needs to be presented on the up and up.
1 Like