Workplace reviews and discussion: 巨匠電腦股份有限公司(巨匠電腦)(巨匠美語)

Regarding the course sales counter position at Genius Computer:

1. It provides everything required by the Labor Standards Act.

2. Every year, the company announces through the media that salaries will be increased, and they really are increased.

3. Employees with three years of service receive one free health examination.

4. There are many branches, so you can choose a workplace near home—unless the nearest branch has no vacancies.

5. Branches have morning, evening, and holiday shifts that require rotation. On weekdays, you do not need to take special leave to go to banks or government offices, because evening-shift employees can use the morning to handle personal matters.

6. The percentage for performance bonuses is clear, and the established calculation table is used nationwide.

7. Occasional incentive bonuses motivate counter staff to push for better performance.

8. Trade shows at the World Trade Center and fully scheduled campus events make work life varied and colorful, rather than as boring as sitting in an office all day.

9. Interacting with customers and students from all walks of life helps build interpersonal relationships and broaden your horizons.

10. Employees receive a 50% discount on their first Genius Computer or English course purchase.

11. The company provides high-quality custom-made uniforms, allowing employees to look polished and energetic at work.

1. The Labor Standards Act requirements are merely the minimum. Just because something appears to be provided does not mean you can actually use it. Branch managers have to consider staffing arrangements; even when a relative dies, you may not be able to use all your bereavement leave, and no substitute leave will be provided. The reason is invariably that staffing considerations make it impossible to approve the leave. After one year of service, you receive annual leave, but you may not be able to use it all; converting it to daily wages provides less than NT$900 per day as compensation.

2. The system consists of a base salary plus bonuses. Naturally, a salary increase means increasing the base salary by a percentage, amounting to roughly NT$200–600 per month—an increase you barely feel.

3. In the Taipei–New Taipei area, a counter employee with six months of average tenure is considered a veteran. Do you really think you will be able to use the health examination benefit?

4. There are many branches, but most employees will not work at a branch close to home.

5. It is normal for morning-shift overtime to be unpaid. For evening shifts, staying late because classes end late or because of service-related issues is also commonplace. There are deductions and penalties for being late, but no overtime pay or overtime service bonus.

6. The performance-bonus threshold has remained unchanged for years and is not adjusted according to actual operating conditions or the economy. Current counter staff can see the bonuses but cannot actually earn them, and customer refunds also result in bonus deductions.

7. The amount of incentive bonuses decreases every year, while the thresholds are adjusted as well. If you cannot earn them, you might as well stop dreaming about them.

8. Participation in World Trade Center exhibitions and campus events is mandatory, yet there are no transportation or meal subsidies. Extremely high sales targets are also set, and you are still criticized if you fail to meet them.

9. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage, because there are many eccentric people. You often have to deal with students’ mental-health issues, and managing not to develop mental-health problems yourself really does require strong stress tolerance.

10. The 50% discount applies only to the first course. To receive it, you must submit an official document for approval, and refunds are not available. That is, assuming you have time to attend the course.

11. Several thousand New Taiwan dollars are deducted from your salary upfront for the uniform and returned only after you have completed six months of employment. The internal website says six months, but in practice, by the time the money is actually returned, you have been employed for nearly ten months.