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Taiwan

Employment Guide & Cultural Intelligence

Overview

Capital Taipei
Currency TWD
Language Mandarin Chinese
Time Zone UTC+8
GDP per Capita $32,500
Work Week 40 hours

Employment Basics

Standard Work Week 40 hours
Notice Period 10-30 days based on tenure
Probation Period 3 months
Overtime Rules 33% first 2 hrs, 67% additional; capped at 46 hrs/month
Termination Rules Severance 0.5 month per year of service (post-2005 hires)
Minimum Wage TWD 27,470/mo (~€820) (2024)

Statutory Benefits

7
Annual Leave Days
12
Public Holidays
19
Total Paid Days Off
Parental Leave 8 weeks maternity (full pay) + parental leave to age 3
Sick Leave 30 days half-pay; extended via labor insurance

Employer Cost Summary

11.5%
Employer Tax/Contribution Rate
Mandatory Insurance Labor insurance, NHI, labor pension
Retirement/Pension New labor pension (6% employer mandatory) + labor insurance
Healthcare NHI universal coverage (~5.17% employer share)

Cultural Intelligence

Communication Style

Polite, indirect, hierarchical respect; warmer than mainland China

Hierarchy

Respectful of seniority and titles; consensus valued

Meeting Norms

Punctual; business cards exchanged formally; substantive discussions

Negotiation Approach

Patient, relationship-driven; long-term orientation; trust paramount

Gift Giving

Welcome; quality items; presentation matters; avoid clocks (death symbol)

Taboos

Avoid mainland politics topics unless invited; respect Taiwanese identity; no clocks/sharp objects as gifts

Hiring Tips

1 Strong manufacturing and semiconductor ecosystem (TSMC, etc.)
2 Annual leave grows from 7 days at 1 year to 30 days at 25+ years
3 13th-month bonus (year-end bonus) is standard expectation
4 Mandarin and Hokkien spoken; English good in tech/MNCs
5 Termination expensive — severance + notice add up significantly
Quick Facts
  • Work Week 40 hrs
  • Annual Leave 7 days
  • Public Holidays 12
  • Employer Burden 11.5%
  • Probation 3 months
  • Currency TWD
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