Workplace reviews and discussion: 嘉鴻遊艇股份有限公司

The only advantages are paid annual leave, a five-day workweek, year-end bonuses, bonuses and gifts for the three major holidays, domestic travel, overseas travel, and performance bonuses.

This company does not respect the Labor Standards Act. There are also problems with workplace safety, bullying, and sexual harassment.

When I first joined the company, because I was an “apprentice,” my salary was only NT$20,000. I was told it would later be adjusted based on my learning ability. However, almost no one teaches you during the learning process; you have to learn independently.

Although the position is that of a woodworking technician, most of the actual work involves installing hardware, blowers, rope winches, anchor winches, and other things that have almost nothing to do with woodworking.

Every day, you have to monitor the yacht’s progress and incoming materials yourself and determine the day’s construction tasks. Working here can improve your ability to do the work of three people by yourself, because work assignments are based on efficiency. The more efficient you are, the greater your workload. It took two years at the company for my salary to increase from NT$20,000 to NT$29,000, and then another three years of enduring the job to reach NT$49,800.

Regular working hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., but overtime until 8:30 p.m. is routine (sometimes you may have to work until 10:00 p.m. or even later). You basically also have to come in for overtime on Saturdays.

Every six months, if the company reaches its boat-launch target, there is a bonus.

The work environment is filled with fiberglass dust and the smell of spray paint, acetone, and resin.

Most coworkers are uneducated thugs, “8+9s” (Taiwanese slang for gang-affiliated delinquents), and migrant workers.

When you are an apprentice, some ill-intentioned senior workers deliberately teach apprentices incorrect concepts or dangerous practices, then pretend they knew nothing after an accident occurs.

Senior workers are afraid that newcomers will learn. Coworkers often lie, spread rumors, distort the truth, and sexually harass others (randomly pinching nipples and flicking genitals). They also frequently shout, curse at people, threaten others, and even steal things and frame other people for it.

Supervisors often make things difficult in every possible way. In addition to nagging about work progress every day, they occasionally propose incorrect construction methods and add difficulty to work orders. When materials are out of stock, they pressure you to speed up or make a pile of unreasonable demands, but provide no help whatsoever.

There was even one time when they arbitrarily deducted wages without giving a reason.

Finally, when I resigned, the supervisor taunted me, saying that the company would never hire me again and that there were plenty of people outside lining up to compete for the job.