Workplace reviews and discussion: 富郁生物科技有限公司

1. Perfect attendance (no tardiness): NT$1,000

2. Year-end bonus: 1 month

I did a brief search of the company’s basic information beforehand, but there was very little available—only some basic company information and its business scope. It is a company that sells over-the-counter medicine, with its main customers being large teaching hospitals and clinics.

Although the company is located in Shilin District, it is already close to Tianmu, and the location is somewhat difficult to find. According to the boss, the area used to be a U.S. military residential area, so there are many dead-end alleys and fire lanes. Some roads even require convex mirrors at turns to watch for oncoming vehicles. In particular, on the way there that day, I witnessed a collision between two scooters nearby, so extra care is needed when traveling there.

On the day of the interview, I arrived at the company, which was located in a detached townhouse-style villa. Visitors needed to change their shoes before entering. There appeared to be fewer than 10 employees. Inside, there were simple office desks, many company documents piled up, and medicines stacked around the space. The staff seemed to be preparing medicines for packaging and shipment. According to the other party, there were also warehouses in other locations where medicines were stored.

The interview was conducted by the boss personally, and the meeting room was in the basement. There were two more offices in the space downstairs, covering approximately 30–40 ping. After a brief self-introduction and a description of my previous work experience, the boss began explaining the company’s main business and sources of customers. He then mentioned that the current position had become vacant, so he was temporarily looking for someone else to support the company’s financial processing. Although the former employee occasionally returned to help with the handover, it was also possible to hear what seemed to be order-entry training while waiting.

The boss then discussed the company’s attendance policy, saying that the accounting employee was often late, so the company now strictly required employees to arrive on time. If working hours began at 8:30, even being one minute late would result in a salary deduction. The deduction for tardiness started at 30 minutes, after which the amount per minute was calculated based on the monthly salary and deducted cumulatively. In other words, being one minute late would first result in a deduction equivalent to 30 minutes of pay. Employees who were not late during the entire month would receive an additional NT$1,000 perfect-attendance bonus. He said this was because of that employee’s behavior, which had made strict enforcement necessary to avoid affecting everyone else. I also learned that the person actually lived nearby but was often late—and often very late at that....

Another issue was that there was almost no one available to conduct the handover. Even though the former employee occasionally returned, the timing was uncertain and could even be after regular working hours. This led to a discussion of working hours. The boss emphasized that the position operated under a “responsibility-based system” and that the work had to be completed. If it was not completed, that was considered the individual’s problem, so there would be no overtime pay. This included time spent completing the handover, which employees would have to handle on their own time. I then heard the other party begin complaining, saying that a responsible person would complete the handover properly and so on.

Overall, it felt as though there had been a conflict or unpleasantness between the departing employee and the company, which had led the company to change some of its practices and enforce them s·t·r·i·c·t·l·y. In addition, because the employee left without completing the handover, the company now hoped that the person they hired could take over immediately. However, every company has its own processes, and the level of difficulty may vary depending on the individual.

During an interview, companies may be wary of candidates who complain about their previous employers. Conversely, when evaluating a company, candidates can also pay closer attention to the relationship between current or former employees and the company. If complaints keep coming up, it is worth evaluating the situation carefully.