TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Monday (May 1) marked Labor Day in Taiwan, and the seventh year since labor laws were changed to guarantee workers at least two days off each week.
In addition, full-time employees who have worked for the same employer for more than one year are entitled to seven days paid leave, and when the country’s 12 public holidays are included, workers in Taiwan get a minimum of 19 paid days off per year.
Given that legislators across the political spectrum are calling for increases in paid leave for Taiwan’s workers, employees may wonder how Taiwan compares to other countries when it comes to time off.
Within Asia, Thailand and Taiwan provide the same minimum paid time off for workers, while Singapore provides slightly fewer at 18 days. In China, the minimum legal requirement is 16 days of paid leave per year.
Under Japanese law, workers are only entitled to 10 days off, however in practice the additional 16 public holidays are often granted to workers with pay.
Labor unions protest government inaction on May 1. (CNA photo)
The average time off in high-income Anglosphere countries is about 30 days of paid leave per year, with the notable exception of the U.S, which does not have any nation-wide laws requiring minimum paid time off. Instead, U.S. labor laws are decided at the state level, and Forbes reported in March the average worker gets 18.6 paid days off per year.
Taiwan has implemented the controversial “make-up” work and school days around certain public holidays in recent years, with six in 2023, including two in February alone. The practice means when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday in Taiwan, the adjacent Monday or Friday is also taken off, but workers are required to “make-up” for the extra day off on the following Saturday.
After 2023’s high number of make-up days received extra criticism, the government said it will consider limiting the number of make-up days to three per year in the future.
Taiwan’s annual paid leave increases with the number of years worked, up to a maximum of 30 days total, granted after working 20 consecutive years for the same employer.
Labor unions and rights activists gathered outside Taiwan’s Presidential Office on Monday to voice concerns about inflation outpacing wage growth, and lack of follow through on politicians’ promises to address these issues. The protestors also called on the government to increase Taiwan’s minimum monthly salary from the present NT$26,400 (US$857) to NT$30,000, and increase the number of paid public holidays from 12 to 19.
