Resources are generally open, and most colleagues are very willing to answer your questions. People are also very nice.

They really like to say that they offer conditions better than those required by the Labor Standards Act. If there is a consecutive holiday for which you would normally need to make up a workday, you do not need to make it up, but the company will deduct a day of annual leave from you on that day. New employees without annual leave have it advanced, so basically you cannot make use of your annual leave.

If you want to take annual leave, you must apply before the 20th of the previous month. Temporary applications after the 20th incur a deduction of NT$250 from your perfect-attendance bonus each time.

It still has to be said that you really can learn things here, but it can be mentally exhausting. The various tests from upper management are a source of pressure—from individual meetings to sign three-year contracts, to the company offering free participation in the company banquet after completing the entire year of 2017. If you did not participate, they would call you in for a meeting and ask, “Won’t you be working until the end of the year?”

Applying for overtime pay is extremely difficult; basically, it is a system where you are responsible for getting the work done regardless of hours.

Employees are frequently called in for meetings and have their seats rearranged, supposedly for operational convenience. However, colleagues handling the same business and on the same team are often seated far apart. You can even have your seat changed for talking and having too much fun with colleagues.

Oh, right—discussing legal issues related to contracts with colleagues can get you fired. No matter how proactive or hardworking you usually are, it can all vanish in an instant.

Although resources are openly available, actual opportunities and resource allocation are very limited. Of course, the official line remains that the company will select the people it considers suitable.

When I first joined the company, the HR director loved saying that this was not a one-person dictatorship, that the company was a big family without factions, and that employees were welcome to raise and discuss problems at any time so they could be resolved promptly. In reality, it is a narrow-minded environment that cannot tolerate anyone expressing opinions opposed to management. There are many examples of people being transferred, marginalized, or fired. Think carefully before submitting your résumé.