If there’s a day that L…ABC doesn’t have an ad up looking for another English editor, I’d be surprised. Good riddance.
It is reflective of their attitude toward the people they hire if they can’t be bothered to sit down and say to a candidate in the middle of probation, “You know, your work is deficient in X Y and Z, and if you can’t remedy it, we’re going to have to let you go.” It’s called “professionalism”. Or at least throw you a pool party. Whichever.
Most Taiwanese contracts are invalid. That is why employees rarely bother suing.
Wasn’t fining people for lateness declared illegal or something like that?
One question for OP: those topics - the pool party and invitation- were selected by you or your colleagues/supervisor?
An invalid clause doesn’t necessarily invalidate the entire contract. There are other reasons for people not to sue.
As I said, the “fine” needs to be proportional. If you miss one hour of work without justification, you lose one hour’s wage, and you fail to obtain the full attendance bonus for that month (if it exists). Anything beyond that is illegal.
It’s nothing unusual for a shitty employer. A good employer would have properly vetted you and then work with you to make sure you are doing the work they deem you should be doing.
It’s certainly proper to fire someone at the beginning of the day, which is why all firings I’ve seen before have been conducted at that time.
Also, why is it not absurd to fine someone for unpaid or sick leave? You’re already being deducted for the time you take off so why deduct an additional fine? Again, no other company I’ve worked at has done that.
The scenario was that a student lives in an apartment building that has a pool so he invites his classmates over for a party. Obviously most apartments don’t have pools but there are some newer ones that do.
I had no idea Taiwanese employers could do so much crap. No wonder most Taiwanese employees are so resigned to terrible conditions.
I did get a small severance and was paid my wages on the spot.
I know Taiwanese businesses in general have a bad reputation but I didn’t expect that these guys, being one of the biggest and most well-known companies in their field, would be so shoddy. To be fair, my previous employers were much better.
Yeah, I had no idea the pool party idea would be so upsetting. It’s basically a student whose apartment building has a pool but apparently that is still a radical and strange thing for the Chinese editor.
The Chinese editor was more angry with the “guy invites colleagues from different departments to dinner” which was even more puzzling to me. I’ve been in Taiwan for many years but I guess I still have a lot to learn about cultural differences.
I was commenting on the cultural suitability of the scenario. I assume there would be photos alongside the storyline. A BBQ would have been a safer bet.
I had one meeting with my boss a few weeks before this happened. It was more like a status update meeting as in “how are you liking the job” and “are you ok with doing it?” rather than a critique. Then again, maybe there was an understated point that I missed.
I’m neither fat or lazy, nor did I do nothing all day. I did eat part of my breakfast at my desk, but so did most of my Taiwanese coworkers, and I ate biscuits during the day. I never made a mess though. 
Exactly, this is why I wrote my post about them so that other people would know.
Forumosa is where I saw the ad that led me to apply for the job with them.
Fining people for lateness is ridiculous and seems so early/mid 20th century. That said, this was the first company I’d ever seen do this.
The theme “invitation” was assigned to me by them. The scenarios- student pool party and guy inviting coworkers to dinner - were made up by me.
From what you and other posters have said, I think I understand a little better why the Chinese editor might have had objections.
But for me, having gone to pool parties as a KID and as a high school student, I didn’t think there was anything wrong. I’m not American either.
I hope it was 1/12 of a month’s salary per month that you worked, counting every portion of a month as a whole month (e.g. 2.5m = 3m), and not 1/24. They must have laid off enough foreigners by now to know the difference.
But no compulsory notice period for less than three months of work…
Yeah, I understand what you mean though the Chinese editor did not explain her confusion. Instead she just asked “why would a student own a pool” and said it’s a strange and “luxurious” scenario for a regular student to understand. Growing up in my country (not the US), I’ve been to pool parties as a child and as a high school student and to me, those were just normal, fun events.
Yeah, I understand what you mean though the Chinese editor did not explain her confusion. Instead she just asked “why would a student own a pool” and said it’s a strange and “luxurious” scenario for a regular student to understand.
Growing up in my country (not the US), I’ve been to pool parties as a child and as a high school student and to me, those were just normal, fun events.
Dont worry about it too much.
This is a sign that the organisation is toxic and they have a high turnover . They don’t train their staff or give feedback, instead they will look for the next body for the role. They use probation instead as a kind of filter for people who are ‘ready to go’ for them.
Many orgs and managers are like this, but not all. I don’t even work in this industry but I already heard that place had a high turnover rate.
To be honest even my current manager is like this. Fortunately she likes me style of work. But there were four people before me who didn’t last. That doesn’t mean they weren’t professional but they couldn’t fit with the management expectation for whatever reason.
My boss also didn’t give me any training . She doesn’t give anybody any trainjng !. It’s the sink or swim approach.
It’s a tough world out there sometimes…or even most of the time.
Are you saying all organizations are toxic?! 
(Couldn’t resist! 
)
Yes toxic feminimity
I think for the next forumosa meet-up we should have a giant pool party at OP’s place.