TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Labor on Tuesday warned employers to follow wage rules under the Labor Standards Act after listing six common illegal pay practices.
CNA reported that wage and work-hour violations are among the most common labor law breaches each year. The ministry said employers must pay workers the full agreed amount on the agreed payday.
Huang Chi-ya (黃琦雅), director of the Department of Labor Conditions and Equality in Employment, said Taiwan’s minimum wage is NT$29,500 (US$984) per month and NT$196 per hour. She said employers who pay workers by the day must still ensure the hourly rate meets the legal minimum.
Huang gave the example of a worker paid NT$1,000 for an eight-hour day. She said the pay equals NT$125 per hour, which is below the legal minimum and violates the law.
The ministry said employers and workers should clearly agree on how and when wages will be paid. Employers must pay wages at least once a month and cannot delay payment after a worker leaves a job.
Huang said some employers delay wages when workers resign or change the payment method without consent. She said employers cannot require workers to collect cash in person if they had agreed to receive wages by bank transfer.
The ministry said employers must pay wages directly, in full, and on agreed paydays, Liberty Times reported. Companies may split monthly wages into two payments, such as one near the end of the month and another early the next month, but only if workers have clearly agreed to the schedule.
The ministry said employers cannot use split payments to delay wages, cut pay, or avoid paying the full amount. Employers also cannot deduct pay because a worker has not returned a uniform or impose excessive fines for being late.
Employers must also keep wage records and provide workers with pay details when wages are paid. The details may be given on paper, electronically, or in another form that workers can access and print, per Economic Daily News.
The ministry said unpaid or underpaid overtime remains a common violation. It recorded 2,159 illegal overtime pay cases last year.
Huang said employers must pay overtime unless a worker chooses compensatory leave and the employer agrees. She said employers cannot make compensatory leave the only option.
Huang said overtime pay must include all wage items that meet the legal definition of wages. She said overtime must be calculated by the actual time worked, down to the minute, and employers cannot round down the time.
The ministry also warned employers to follow national holiday wage rules. Workers must agree before working on national holidays, and employers must pay them double wages for the day.
Employers who violate wage rules can be fined up to NT$1 million. Their company name and the name of the person in charge may also be made public.
