Workplace reviews and discussion: 台灣表面黏著科技股份有限公司

The Taiwan plant's environment is alright and suitable for staying long term and taking it easy.

I previously worked as an overseas assignee and have since left the company.

Here are a few genuine observations for anyone considering joining TSMC in the future.

When I first received training in Taiwan, HR mentioned verbally that there was a “comprehensive training program.” In practice, however, the overseas-assignment training was conducted directly during working hours, without any additional resources or schedule arrangements. You may encounter people who are supervisors in name but are actually unwilling to help, responding with cold indifference and even directly discouraging your expectations about working overseas by saying things like, “There’s no future over there.” The overall atmosphere is simply unwelcoming.

The reality is even harsher once you actually go overseas. The so-called “responsibility system” basically means unpaid overtime. During an overseas assignment, this “responsibility system” is essentially a well-packaged culture of unpaid overtime; if you do not comply, your salary or bonuses may be adjusted or deducted under various pretexts, such as “insufficient initiative,” “lack of commitment,” or “failure to meet performance standards.” These criteria are highly ambiguous and determined subjectively by supervisors, leaving employees with no real protection. High-pressure management and emotional manipulation become the norm. People either yell at you or belittle you, with no communication or support whatsoever—they simply work you like a machine.

The workplace cultures of the various overseas sites differ tremendously. In some locations, the management style is extremely authoritarian: they respect hierarchy but not people, and their values are difficult to accept. In such an environment, you are expected to work yourself to the bone voluntarily while pretending to identify with the corporate culture, which is extremely difficult to accept.

In summary:

✅ If you want to stay at the Taiwan plant long term and take it easy, are comfortable with relatively stable work and systems, and live near Taoyuan, it may be worth considering. After all, the salary is above the average wage, and you can also leave work at 5 p.m. on time.

❌ As for overseas assignments, I strongly do not recommend them unless you truly understand the culture of the assigned location and can accept a “top-down management style + work model that disregards human considerations.” In particular, at some sites, the supervisors are almost uniformly domineering and the pressure is immense, which can truly wear away your passion and self-respect.