Sources and scope
This page collects workplace experiences, questions and discussions submitted by users. Dates shown are submission dates, not periods of employment. Individual reports do not describe the entire company.
Read the community guidelinesPros, as in the other reviews
1. When I joined n years ago, the hourly wage was 100 (the statutory minimum was 115).
2. Every colleague said the boss was very good at miscalculating wages—almost every month (by his calculations, employees could be underpaid by more than 10,000 a year).
3. The boss’s aesthetic is outdated... The samples children love are all created by the younger teachers.
4. I remember that before long, the hourly wage increased to 110 (the statutory minimum was 115 at the time).
5. The department store starts work and preparation at 10:30, but the company required us to start at 11:00 to save 30 minutes of wages; being one minute late would then result in a 1,000 deduction.
6. Only five hours were scheduled per day (employees earned 550 a day??)
7. Extremely high staff turnover (an exaggeration).
8. No labor or health insurance.
9. When setting up a booth at another department store in the middle of the night, the hourly wage was still the same...
Looking back, was something wrong with my head at the time..
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Because the boss often leaves employees to work alone, there isn't much pressure from supervisors.
Years ago, I worked here with a friend, and the boss would find all kinds of ways to underpay us. At the time, the basic hourly wage was 158, but the boss only paid 150. The boss would even tell new hires that, because of the nature of the work, they would initially only be paid 100 per hour, with the hourly wage increasing by 10 after each month and reaching the normal wage after about six months. In short, whenever a new employee came in, the boss would try every possible way to pay them less. Also, this job really made it difficult for people to stay longer than half a year; the turnover rate was extremely high. At the time, they also did not provide labor and health insurance for hourly workers (I don't know about the situation now).
The hours for full-time employees were severely excessive. At the time, we worked twelve 12-hour days and twelve 8-hour days per month (9 hours on holidays), which added up to more than 240 hours per month, bringing the hourly wage to less than 110.
There were all kinds of bizarre violations of labor laws. I really don't know why the boss hasn't been investigated yet.
Although the position advertised in the interview was a handicraft instructor, of course we also had to clean, make samples, look after the displays, promote products, drive sales, and so on. The duties were rather miscellaneous.
I don't know what the situation is like now, but in any case, this job really traumatized me at the time. My health was ruined by the work, and I even had to see a psychiatrist.
‧The owner has a nice personality. The Taipei Mingyao branch is located in a children’s activity center, so the customers are relatively uncomplicated. On weekdays, the atmosphere is relaxed (there are usually no customers, but weekends are a battlefield full of children). You often run the shop alone, with no pressure from a supervisor.
‧Suitable for people who like handicrafts (mainly resin clay), enjoy being around children and elderly people, and want to pass the time.
‧You get to meet some wealthy ladies who are friends of the owner (the students’ parents); customers you get along well with may treat you to snacks.
‧You can learn beadwork, patchwork, sewing, and découpage for free.
‧When there’s nothing to do, you can play with clay and do other handicrafts. Of course... your creations have to be donated to the owner.
1. There are only hourly employees.
2. The pay is very low. During the probationary period, some employees are paid less than the statutory minimum. If you do not proactively ask for a raise, the owner is unlikely to give you one.
(They will continue using the so-called probationary-period wage.)
3. Since the shop is inside a department store, you have to follow its rules, like a department-store sales associate.
(You will be fined for being seen eating or for leaving the counter unattended. Since you often run the shop alone, there is no proper break time during work.)
4. If you do not proactively request labor and health insurance, you will not receive them.
5. The owner often calculates wages incorrectly. (You get paid too little.)
6. Occasionally, you have to babysit (the youngest child was two years old), as well as listen to elderly customers ramble.
7. Turnover is extremely high, and staffing is clearly insufficient (weekends can become unbearably busy).
8. Although you apply to be a handicraft instructor, you have to handle everything because you run the stall alone.
9. You need to promote courses to customers.
P.S. This information is from three years ago.
1. Only hourly positions are available. The hourly wage is low, with no labor or health insurance and few benefits. In the long run, the pay remains low, and the work is not very structured, so you should think carefully.
2. There are several days of training (only 4 hours per day) to see whether you can adapt, but it is unpaid. Any separately scheduled time for learning is also unpaid. Only after you confirm that you want the job will you be assigned a morning, evening, or full-day shift. Staffing is lean and already stretched thin.