Working in Taiwan: The Cons
As many reasons as there are to come to Taiwan, outlined here in a previous post, there are just as many to seek employment elsewhere. I'll address each of the pros from the previous post in order, to keep things consistent.
1) While your company takes care of pushing your paperwork and visa into the right office, most of the time they do not pay for this paperwork to be done (save for your work permit, which costs about $15 USD to file). This sounds neutral on the surface, but I have known several people, myself included, who have had to shell out over $300 USD to get the appropriate visa. The reason for this is that most companies will only officially hire you once you physically step foot in Taiwan (this process involves signing the contract and submitting the paperwork for your work permit, which alerts the government to your intention to work here). Unfortunately, although you will not be de facto hired until you arrive, you cannot legally look for work in Taiwan; as far as the government is concerned, the company must file your work permit before you arrive, and you, must get the appropriate sponsored visa before you arrive. This means that you run the risk of having to do a visa run if your landing visa expires before the government and your company can finish the paperwork.
But really, doing a visa run is the least of your worries- although expensive (another $500 if you go to the cheapest location- Hong Kong), you could face even bigger issues if the government decides they want to make an example out of you for not doing your paperwork on time. Though this is rare, two of my partner's colleagues ran into this problem and were deported and banned from re-entering for a minimum of a year. Still want to work here? Keep reading!
Another major issue here in Taiwan is that Taiwanese law itself is rarely enforced unless there is political (or monetary) incentive (as described above), and it comes down to the individual to protect themselves against poor business (illegal) practices. One very common occurrence here is the illegal contract; many companies will fine you for leaving before the end of your contract by withholding your last paycheck. In fact, because companies usually pay employees the first or second week of the month on a monthly schedule, your company will always be withholding at minimum one to two weeks of your pay. Withholding pay as a fine is illegal, but many companies do it, and many expats in Taiwan accept it as a matter of course, even though some consider it to be immoral and deceptive. One company I was recently offered a job with had a clause in its contract that stated even if an employee's parent died and a death certificate could be provided, the employee would still be fined a minimum of $600 and as much as $1000 USD just for going home for the funeral!
Be wary of any contract that stipulates a fine for leaving your contract early, even if the contract does not explicitly state you will be fined if a parent dies. A contract should ideally say only that they will ask for your training fee back, and all conflicts will be resolved through the local courts. Contracts in Taiwan keep things vague on purpose- I had to ask a slew of questions before finding out that the school actually meant taking any time off at all- even in the event of parent death. Do not assume contracts are legal. Do not assume they are logical. Do not assume that it "won't be that bad." This is Taiwan. As far as companies and schools are concerned, they have earned the right to do all of the above because many foreigners have done stupid, unprofessional things such as showing up to work drunk or leaving the country mid-contract without telling their employer.
Unfortunately, this cycle of distrust is bound to continue and only escalate as employees feel disrespected and employers feel they must go to great lengths to protect their businesses. Lesson? Ask as many questions as possible and know what you're getting yourself into. Regardless of whether the contract is legal or not, you are legally bound to it once you sign and there is no protection, legal or otherwise, after this point. The government's stance is simply, "you shouldn't have been stupid enough to sign an illegal contract."*
After speaking with the labor bureau about the contract and this particular clause, it was made apparent that the labor bureau finds this to be illegal and, in the words of the representative, "illogical and immoral." In addition, I learned that in the event the parent of an employee dies, the employer is required to provide paid time off. However, because I did not sign the contract and cannot legally sue them, nothing can be done. This is typical in Taiwan: citizens are expected to enforce their own laws, but can only do so after they have been taken advantage of (in business, personal, or in many cases physical sense). This is similar to physical assault here in Taiwan; if you get pushed, followed, and harassed by men, for example, the police will do nothing at all unless you can prove you were beaten to within an inch of your life or raped (and of course, the latter is almost impossible to prove in a culture where the victim is at fault). All this means that as an ex pat, you are on your own as far as protecting yourself from the world of the devious and illegal. In the words of our local police, "The police have no power here ... so you just need to be careful."
One last point before I move on is this: Although there are many unions and organizations that rally to protect the rights of workers in certain sectors, the sector where most Western expats work (cram schools or buxiban 補習班) does not have such a group. This means that not only illegal contracts, but illegal working practices are also rife here. Again, many expats remain ignorant of these breaches, or simply do not care to involve themselves in these issues as long as they are paid on time (which, consequentially is one of these common breaches since sketchy places will deliberately withhold pay or not pay on time- red flag!). So again, it's essential to do your homework before accepting a position with a company here since there are many unsavory characters at work and little protection once you are embroiled in an illegal situation.
2) Speaking Chinese: Although it is possible to get by in Taiwan without much knowledge of Chinese (especially in the North), without any knowledge, workers here put themselves at higher risk for being taken advantage of. Offices in Taiwan rarely provide service in English (save for the visa office), and so if you run into any troubles here, you must rely on Taiwanese friends to help you. This is perfectly fine for many people (most notably the white male expat who tends to find a Taiwanese girlfriend that can help), but for many others that like their independence, endlessly relying on others will get old, and frustrating, fast.
You already speak Chinese? Great! But no one will talk to you (in the south). Southern Taiwanese often take on a deer-in-headlights look when non-Asian foreigners try to speak to them. I suspect this is because there are still relatively few foreigners here and when expectation and reality do not coincide, locals simply have an involuntary shut down: "White face... words... language? I... can't... WHAT!?!" Then there are a few moments (or minutes) of open-mouthed blank staring before an attempt at communication can be made again. For some insight in to how to combat this issue and communicate more effectively, please check here for an entry entirely dedicated to solving this issue!
3) Working conditions: Although I briefly touched on some of the issues above, I would also like to point out that because of the current global economy and the growing trend of Taiwanese people to have fewer children later in life, there are fewer cram schools and also fewer regular schools. In fact, in recent years several state schools have had to close due to lack of enrollment and teacher employment has taken a dive. This means that full time (30+ hours a week) positions are on the decrease, and the average worker here will likely work between 14-20 hours per week, but are not likely to work more than this unless working at multiple locations. This makes it rather difficult to save money while in Taiwan, especially as the cost of living has increased exponentially in the past decade while wages have remained stagnant or even decreased.
A second important issue is that most Western workers that come to Taiwan will have little to no mobility in their jobs. In other words, working here will almost always be a 'dead end job' rather than an illustrious career path. The reason for this is that Taiwanese companies usually only hire locals for management or higher level positions, so Westerners very rarely even get an opportunity to apply for them. For people that stay here long term, this is a non-issue because they enjoy the lifestyle of working few hours and having little responsibility, or at least not having the full responsibility of management. However, if you are looking to climb the latter into a career, Taiwan is not the best place to be since it is unlikely you will ever be promoted.
4) Cost of living: While a decade ago rent and food costs were low, today rent has been on a steady increase along with fresh produce. For example, when we first arrived, broccoli was 20-30nt a head, depending on the season. Today the price of broccoli never drops below 30nt and it usually sells for 50nt. Taiwan has not really caught up to other countries in terms of frozen meals, so the options are basically buy fresh and cook for yourself at an inflated rate or eat out at one of Taiwan's many road-side stands that have almost no nutritional value but lots of oil and salt (delicious! but not very good for you...). Again, because wages haven't increased and in many cases have decreased, this is rapidly becoming a problem for many.
Another issue with cost of living is that foreigners are taxed at 20% for the first 183 days they are in the country, and if you arrive during the wrong time, you could end up paying an entire year's worth of tax at 20%. This may not seem like a lot, but in the long run, it amounts to 2-4 months worth of wages. Half of this will be refunded to you via the tax office, but only after you have been here a full calendar year + the time between then and August, when the office does its refunds. If you are staying in Taiwan long term, this isn't usually an issue because the Tax office will release the money into your Taiwanese bank account or into the account of a friend's. However, should you leave before you are eligible to collect it, they will not send your check abroad and it can be tricky to get your refund.
5) Friendliness exposed: Although Taiwanese are a pretty standard bunch of people, they are not necessarily any more friendly than anyone else in the world. Should you need help, they will help you, but they will also may proceed to talk about you in Chinese. I have also encountered situations where younger Taiwanese people will intentionally speak in Chinese so they are not understood and then switch to Taiwanese, the local dialect, when it becomes clear the foreigners involved speak Chinese. This is an especially interesting scenario because many young Taiwanese people do not speak the local dialect fluently (they studied in school as a second language like many Western English speakers learn French or Spanish), and in essence they are using it as a way to escape being understood by foreigners, even at the expense of barely understanding each other!
6) Health care: Although Taiwan's health care is cheap and usually convenient, more serious illnesses can result in very long (hours... and hours...) wait at the hospital to see someone. In addition, because clinics run off of a computer system whereby they input symptoms and get a list of medication, patients can end up with a lot of unnecessary medication (think 10 pills when you really only need one). Especially concerning in Western clinics (vs Chinese medicine clinics) is the propensity to dispense antibiotics like candy. What's worse, doctors do not usually tell you what you are taking, and when you leave the office you are handed a bag full of medicine without knowing what's inside! For the determined, many of the drugs can be looked up via internet, but if you're really sick, you probably don't want to spend 30 minutes investigating the drugs you've been given. Taiwan is not the only country with this issue (I'm looking at you, France!), but it is still a serious problem that needs to be addressed not just for the health of Taiwan, but for the safety of everyone in a drug-resistant world.
In summary, each individual should make their own decision about coming to Taiwan to work and whether they think they will be able to adjust to life here. For many, life is relatively easy and without heavy burden, but if money is a key driving force for considering Taiwan, there are many Asian countries that pay better and have comparable or lower living costs, such as Korea, or better environment (and less pollution!), such as Japan.
*Tellingly, in one of my Chinese learning textbooks, one chapter included a scene with a college-age girl who was swindled into prostitution ring. When she realized what was happening, she tried to leave and call the police, who did not help her, rather they just chastised her for being so stupid. This is incredibly symbolic of Taiwanese culture. Victims are blamed first. Make sure you protect yourself: work or otherwise. As a woman, be aware that rape happens frequently, is rarely reported because of victim blaming, and almost never goes to trial. As a foreign woman you will likely be harassed, but in normal circumstances will not be in physical danger, but the same rules as home apply in Taiwan regarding clubs, bars, alcohol/drugs.
Keep in mind: A 7-year-old-girl was raped by a middle aged man several years ago and the courts ruled that it wasn't rape because she had consented to sex with the man. Logic? No. Victim blaming? Yes. Be careful.
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