Workplace reviews and discussion: 臺青創夢有限公司

None

Note: The boss is not Taiwanese.

1. There are no basic systems. That’s right—even basic attendance and work regulations are nonexistent and are being established gradually by employees.

Even if there are any, they are not announced or communicated to all employees, making it genuinely confusing whether any systems exist at all.

2. Basic monthly salary (including perfect-attendance allowance): NT$22,000–40,000 (depending on how much you negotiate with the boss) + bonuses.

Note 1: The NT$2,000 perfect-attendance allowance is included in the base salary. If the base salary is NT$22,000, it increases to NT$24,000; if the base salary is NT$24,000 or higher, NT$2,000 is deducted.

Therefore, if you negotiate a monthly salary of NT$28,000, the actual base salary is NT$26,000. Other than amounts above NT$22,000 being added, everything else is deducted.

Note 2: The boss believes that bonuses are only payable when you have completed work and achieved results. Even when there is a process and work records, if the boss fails to make decisions, preventing you from continuing and completing the work on schedule, the boss will only say that it is your responsibility.

The base salary is usually extremely low, while the bonus is only slightly higher—but you still will not receive the bonus, as explained below.

3. The boss frequently travels between Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and Hainan. As soon as the boss leaves Taiwan, it is as if they have vanished from the face of the earth. There is no response to any matter requiring the boss’s decision, and the boss does not say when they will return or notify anyone upon arriving back in Taiwan.

4. The company’s business SOP: The boss gives instructions > employees carry them out > a situation requiring the boss’s decision arises > report to the boss > most of the time, the boss does not read or reply, or reads without replying > work comes to a standstill and business cannot be carried out smoothly > continue following up with no sign of the boss > the boss suddenly remembers and asks about your work progress > you explain the process above > the boss says, “I don’t care—that’s your responsibility” > this is equivalent to the boss believing you did nothing > the agreed bonus is withheld and only your base salary is paid.

5. Even the best talent gets buried. The company once hired a regional marketing manager for all of Asia, a highly capable person earning NT$400,000 or more per month, yet the company still applied the business SOP described above. The person received no bonus for four consecutive months. Because company funding had not arrived, the project could not progress, and the company refused to pay the performance bonus. That person is now overseas, serving as a senior executive for a major American sporting-goods manufacturer.

6. Authority is not properly delegated. Many matters have to be handled directly with the boss, who still does not read or reply, or reads without replying. Subordinates cannot work normally, and the company operates in name only.

7. The company only complies with the Labor Standards Act and offers nothing better than what the law requires. There are no other systems.

There is no year-end bonus and almost no benefits, etc.

8. There are not even storage lockers for individual desks in the office, simply because the boss believes they are unnecessary.

9. During the interview, they promised to provide meals, but none were provided (nor was there any subsidy). Only after asking did they change their story and say meals would be provided once the central kitchen was built. Everyone has to buy their own food. The only place nearby is a 7-Eleven, and you have to ride a scooter for about five minutes into town to buy food.

10. The company does not purchase company vehicles. When business travel is required, regardless of what vehicle you use, fuel expenses are not reimbursed. You must arrange your own transportation for business trips. Public transportation is allowed and the company reimburses actual expenses, but you must return to the company within the allotted time. There is only one bus available outside, and it runs once an hour; if you miss it, you have to wait another hour.

The reason fuel expenses are not subsidized is that the company does not want to compensate employees for accidents that occur while they are traveling on company business. In reality, after confirming that the trip was work-related and clarifying responsibility, if the relevant authorities require the company to pay compensation, the company would still have to do so. This concept was explained to the boss long ago, but the boss would not listen.

11. The company operates in name only, with no progress in its business. Office rent starts at over NT$600,000 per month, yet the company is unwilling to pay employees’ bonuses.

Note: The landlord has not been paid for a long time, and no one knows when the company will be evicted.

12. There is much more. If you are very interested after reading the explanation above, I strongly recommend coming to work here and seeing for yourself. In many respects, I guarantee it will not disappoint you.