Workplace reviews and discussion: 草如股份有限公司

After discussing the company benefits and responsibilities, I was hired very quickly.

The only benefit is free lunch, with an allowance of about $70 per person.

Every now and then, the boss provides spoiled fruit, snacks from religious offerings, and foods such as red bean and coix seed desserts.

- Of the $1,500 salary discussed, $1,500 is a perfect-attendance bonus. This was never mentioned during the interview. The salary is calculated on a daily basis, so the amount received varies depending on the number of days in each month.

- Overseas trips may seem very appealing, but they are all decided by the company's relatives. The company subsidizes about 70–80%, regardless of whether the trip is expensive or inexpensive. Subsidies begin after one year. Half of your annual leave must be used for the company’s trips (I’m not sure whether this is an advantage or a disadvantage). If you do not go on the employee trip, you have to work or take unpaid leave. Therefore, everyone tries to “pay” to participate in trips they may not actually be interested in.

- There are no holiday bonuses because the money is used to subsidize overseas trips that you may or may not like.

- During the off-season, unpaid leave may be imposed, or office staff may be sent to work on the packaging production line. It is extremely hot.

- Overtime is common, but there is no overtime pay. The salary may look higher than at ordinary companies, but when converted to an hourly rate, it is only so-so.

- Air conditioning is restricted to certain hours, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It shuts off when the time is up. Sweating while working overtime is extremely frustrating.

- You have to sweep and mop the floors, clean the coffee machine, and take out the trash.

- Graphic designers also have to handle purchasing (there are many miscellaneous tasks, not just design, and you also have to negotiate and plead with vendors). Sales staff have to do handicrafts (cutting cutting boards, cutting cardboard boxes, and handling a pile of miscellaneous tasks—you’ll be fed up after just one day).

- The office supervisor has emotional issues and takes things personally rather than addressing the matter itself. They also emphasize that the female employees here have all worked for a long time, while making sure you do not know about those who stayed only a short time.

- They only hire women, not men. Men do not need to apply; they will not be notified. The boss is afraid that men will be too ambitious and take over the entire company to start their own businesses.

- The interview involves prying into your privacy, especially regarding your partner, as if everyone would stay here for the sake of their partner.

- Leave is calculated in half-day increments, while lateness is calculated by the minute. Being one minute late means losing the perfect-attendance bonus. During the interview, they even ask whether you are often late, yet there is no overtime pay. They seem to care excessively about punctuality when arriving, but pay no attention to departure times.

- You may have to travel on business to Hong Kong, Germany, and Chicago. (For business trips to Germany, you have to stay at the boss’s house in Germany.)

- During factory inspections, you have to tell a whole lot of lies to cover things up. Later, you discover that it is actually just like the interview: they lie first to get new people to join, and deal with everything else later.

- There is more to say about the disadvantages of this family business, but I won’t elaborate.

None of the points above will be mentioned during the interview. They will only say that the company benefits are excellent and that they are not worried about being unable to find employees. They hope you can come on board as soon as possible.

All I can say is that the places that are in a hurry to hire are mostly terrible jobs. Everyone, please make sure to ask about everything clearly during the interview~~~