Workplace reviews and discussion: 弘益生態有限公司

1. Two-section gift + birthday gift

Both are NT$1,000 and are available after passing the probationary period.

2. Employee dinners

Twice a year, with a subsidy of NT$1,000 each time. Each team chooses the restaurant.

3. Employee trips

Once a year, either domestic or overseas depending on the decision of the Employee Welfare Committee. A certain amount is subsidized, and two days of leave are provided (any additional days must be taken as personal leave). Employees must arrange their own transportation to the destination or airport. Those who do not participate must work.

4. Year-end banquet

The restaurant is chosen by the Employee Welfare Committee; there may not necessarily be a lucky draw.

5. Business-trip allowance

NT$50 per meal is provided, with partial accommodation reimbursement. There is a bonus for offshore trips.

6. Annual leave

3 days after six months of service, 7 days after one year, and 10 days after three years. Supervisors receive additional leave. Leave is valid for one year.

7. Flexible start time

15 minutes

1. Low pay

Salary

During the probationary period, bachelor's degree holders earn NT$30K and master's degree holders earn NT$32K. After passing probation, there is a NT$2K increase. There is little opportunity to negotiate raises.

Overtime pay

It does not comply with the Labor Standards Act. The calculation is monthly salary/30/8*1.33. Overtime on holidays is compensated only with time off in lieu, valid for one year, with a maximum accumulation of 40 hours.

Performance bonuses (paid twice a year, before Lunar New Year and in August; the amount is monthly salary minus NT$2K. If you take parental leave or occupational-injury leave, even for just one day, you will be disqualified.)

No perfect-attendance bonus

In the past, employees who took no personal or sick leave received NT$5,000. Since 2023, the boss decides who receives it. At the year-end banquet in 2023, the boss's special assistant received NT$50,000, while the deputy manager of the acoustics team received “NT$500,000.”

Small raises

Raises are given every March, usually around NT$1K. In the past, the increase was only NT$500. The maximum salary has only reached NT$38K; after that, you must be promoted to earn more.

2. Many projects, no SOPs

The workload is very heavy, with many miscellaneous tasks. You have to deal with unreasonable clients, and sometimes even your own colleagues will stab you in the back.

3. High turnover, difficulty retaining new hires, and many returning employees

You can always see urgent-hiring posts on job websites. New hires generally do not last six months. Some leave after gaining experience they can put on their résumés. Since the company provides no training, newcomers must fend for themselves. Everyone is already too busy with their own work to invest time in training you, partly because they assume you will not stay long.

You cannot learn any particularly special skills at the company; the work mainly relies on the professional knowledge you learned at school.

As a result, work pressure has been increasing in recent years. The boss does not take on fewer projects because there are fewer employees; instead, the company takes on even more.

People who return can obtain higher salaries, but this causes other colleagues to be undervalued.

4. An entrenched culture of overtime

No one dares to leave when working hours end.

Of course, trying to claim overtime pay dishonestly is impossible.

5. Poor promotion system; departments receive different levels of attention

Promotions are not based on seniority, and there are few management openings.

The boss only values the departments currently engaged in bird radar and underwater acoustics; other departments are ignored.

6. Poor cooperation between departments; rules are repeatedly changed

New rules frequently appear, and cooperation with colleagues depends heavily on the person involved. If you get caught in a mess, you can only consider yourself unlucky.

7. It is miserable if the supervisor does not like you

Those favored by the supervisor will not be scolded even when something major happens, and will receive plenty of assistance.

Those not favored by the supervisor will be ignored. When something goes wrong, the supervisor will push you forward to be scolded by the client and will not show you any consideration.

Naturally, forming cliques is also normal.

8. Pay attention to safety when traveling for work

Whether going into remote mountains or out to sea, you must take your own safety precautions. If company equipment is damaged, you may be required to pay compensation.

Advice

When recruiting, the company often says that the department you applied to has no openings (although it actually does), and asks whether you are interested in applying to another department—a terrible position.

Those interested in ecology or who love animals are not advised to apply; you will be extremely disappointed.

If you do apply, it is best to choose the radar or acoustics department, where you will receive more attention.

Recently (2024), the company has been seriously short-staffed. The boss has not taken on fewer projects as a result, so work pressure continues to rise.

Employees are highly obedient to the boss. For example, when the company moved, the boss did not want to hire movers, and employees did not dare object; they could only move everything themselves.

Finally, do not let your ecology major limit you to this company. This is a warning to everyone in the ecology field.