1. No Line messages after work.

2. The boss treats everyone to lunch every Friday (Fridays only).

3. Each month, you can get one complimentary theme park ticket (yes, only one).

(That’s all the pros I can come up with.)

1. Other than the basic protections required by Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act, there is little protection. Besides the offer letter being very informal, the company doesn’t even have employees sign employment contracts.

2. The policies are unclear. There is a 30-minute lunch break, and the company does not track the actual time used, but management will bring it up to criticize you when they want to target you.

3. The company does not hire anyone separately for cleaning; employees take turns being responsible for a week at a time. During that week, you must start half an hour before the end of each workday to sweep and mop the entire office, clean the restrooms, and take out the trash.

4. The company defines business-trip hours very narrowly. For example, when traveling from Taipei to Kaohsiung, the hours counted as work time run from when you arrive in Kaohsiung and clock in until you clock out before returning to Taipei. The company does not care how late you get back to Taipei that night. In addition, they pressure you about the schedule during business trips—for example, requiring you to enter a venue at 1:30 and leave for the next venue at a specified time, as if they were very afraid employees might steal time.

5. The boss has a childish streak, is extremely conceited, and does not trust professionals. He thinks he is the best, changes his decisions constantly, blames employees when results are poor, and takes all the credit when results are good. He is wealthy, but has cut many employee benefits under the excuse of “the pandemic,” including eliminating the lunch that used to be prepared daily by a hired cook. There is no year-end banquet, no spring dinner, and no guaranteed year-end bonus.

6. The company is essentially being held together by design. The design department has many people, but the salaries are all low.