Basically according to him, a worker is replaceable. I was always threatened with firing for every little thing.
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This is partially true. However, when a crime is caught on CCTV law enforcement should be involved. You chose not to demand this, a decision which I don’t understand. You didn’t steal the money, but you paid it. There are labour laws in Taiwan. I know, because I’ve used them.
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Because I was a lot less mature at the time and didn’t know what my rights was. He said that essentially corporate will see this as failing to perform my duty and will terminate me immediately.
I know I should have just come back with the police to demand CCTV evidence, but then I will likely be looking for another job.
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We hopefully live and learn.
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If this had happened at the Walmart where I worked I wouldn’t even know. It would have been recorded and the police is contacted.
Actually the till did get stolen at the Walmart I worked at. Someone basically went and carried the entire cash box, two of them, and ran off. It was empty at the time as every night the CSM comes and empties it, or rather at the end of our shift we take the till and take it to a secure room to turn it in. They had to find extra cash box at some other part of the store so we could continue working.
I’m sure store security saw who did it and that information is shared with all Walmarts worldwide. Means if that loser decides to go to some Walmart across the country, store security will go after him.
So I refuse to work retail in Taiwan until they stop treating workers like slaves.
My experience was “Average”. Overtime wasn’t pushed on you, but was expected from time to time. Although a lot of Taiwanese employees stayed in the office browsing social media until their boss left, none of the foreigners did and I was told it was just a thing Taiwanese staff chose to do (I don’t think it was actively discouraged though). I once had to work a Saturday, but I was given a make-up day. Unlike a friend in another company, I never had to book PTO to see the dentist during work hours. One time I had to deal with petty office politics, which I’ve never had to do in the UK. It wasn’t remarkable, but it wasn’t that bad either (aside from the low pay and lack of holidays that you get anywhere in Taiwan), so “Average”.
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More bosses are on a power trip than I’d like but jobs are generally not too stressful. Wage theft, pension theft, and tax evasion is rampant. Generally lower opportunities for advancent.
I don’t think Taiwan is the worst place to work nor a bad place to work. But it can’t offer me anything that my home country can’t do much, much better.
This is a difficult question to answer. Compared to working in the Gaza strip, it’s working in heaven. Compared to Australia it’s less stressful but sucks in every other way.
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Wait, is this thread another one of those critizing taiwan work culture? I am on board. I work for a local company of 500 people with only me as a foreigner so i have seen quite a lot. Bosses are generally assholes. they expect you to work every single second and dont wanna give u any bonus because “you are expected to work hard anyway”. there is lot of under the table politics and coworkers barely show friendliness. But where i came from, i am used to it.
Now if u come from a better country then u will hate it here so this poll makes no sense to me but its fun to start a lengthy thread .
But my advice to anyone who wanna work for local company is always “dont look at the salary, try to find a nicer boss”. Salaries will be shit no matter what, but a nicer boss will make your experience either super shit to somewhat tolerable.
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I guess another thing is, are foreigners treated better compared to taiwanese? Can any taiwanese American give any feedback?
Yeah same. My boss literally tells “I’m not keeping track of your work-hours and I’m not paying you for overtime so don’t do it” and about half of the company still does it anyway. I never understood why. He doesn’t even know they’re doing it most of the time, he comes late and leaves early.
You should look for new opportunities. There are many. Even if you don’t wanna actually change jobs, you can use the new offer as leverage to negotiate higher salary. You are underpaid, by a lot.
People stay because their lives are so empty they’ve nothing better to do. They can buy shit online just as easily in the office as at home.
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If your two options are to go home to your parents and grandparents and siblings, or to stay in the office with your friends, which would you choose?
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I did get this sense that leaving “on time” every day was the same as leaving “early” and, so, I’d usually hang around for 15 mins before leaving (but never staying until the boss leaves). This was the first office job I ever had, so I didn’t realise this isn’t actually normal until I moved back to London. I wouldn’t do that kind of nonsense now. I’d be surprised if I got into trouble or people started gossiping about me being lazy, which I think is what drives Taiwanese people to do it.
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Do you work in Taiwan now?
You need to try to stay positive and get a track record here And network with different companies and government organisations . Eventually you’ll get more opportunities as they recognize your skills.
Also as Whatever said these days there are more jobs out there.
I understand discrimination and racism is a legitimate concern but keep looking , applying for jobs and networking . if you are from SEA or India they also want to go after these markets more and .more.
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A lot of it is perception. It’s not like there’s a grace meter at the top right corner of your screen that goes up or down depending on how your boss feels about you. Nothing they say is indication of anything, only layoffs or bonuses and promotion.
So they err on the side of caution and not leave on time, but doing their job very slowly as to appear busy.
At the end of the day company isn’t getting paid more because you spent more time at work, but on getting your job done in a competent manner.
Just received this email 5 minutes ago
My name is xxx and I’m the owner of an English school in Zhunan. I happened to know that you’re looking for a teaching job so I’d like to invite you to send me your CV if you’re interested.
They’re arrogant (and wrong) before you’re even employed by them 
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It’s a sales technique to make you think you guys have mutual friends, so you’re more likely to respond.
Of course, it doesn’t work on people like you who aren’t actually looking for a job, but you’re not their target audience anyway.
I will say on the upside jobs are easy to find in Taiwan (for a taiwanese). The work environment might be more toxic than rotten fugu and the pay might not be much more than subsistence, but jobs are there.
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