Taiwan’s legislature has passed a financial relief proposal that will see NT$840 billion set aside for direct payments and loans to citizens and businesses.
On Monday, it approved an additional NT$420 billion in stimulus spending to support the economy as business activities are curbed.
Selected workers and the self-employed in Taiwan can expect to receive subsidies ranging from US$361 to US$1,083.
The proposal would allow workers who have to take unpaid leave to take care of their children to apply for the subsidies.
The move to remote work comes as an increasingly number of COVID-19 infections are reported in Taiwan.
The Legislative Yuan has approved an amendment to an act that will lower requirements for foreign white-collar professionals seeking work in Taiwan.
Workers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine will be entitled to two days off work, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
Employers are required to sign their staff up for the insurance on their first day at work, regardless of company size, or face a fine of up to NT$100,000.
The amendment to the law would also allow foreign professionals to enjoy greater tax concessions, from the current three years to five years.
Despite the economic fallout from the pandemic, employees received the highest-ever average year-end bonus of NT$70,513 (US$2,478) last year.
The MOL has asked the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to enact new laws allowing employees to take unpaid leave for vaccination.
The bill proposes that companies employing less than five workers must insure their staff for occupational accidents.
The number of employees in the industrial and service sectors at the end of January increased by 0.18% or 15,000 to 8.17 million from December 2020.
The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has said the demand for workers should rise in Q2 this year due mainly to the expansion in the electronics sector.
In its four-year plan, Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) will focus on cultivating a digital talent pool, among other goals.
Taiwan’s average hourly gender pay gap fell from 17.1% in 2010 to 14% in 2020, which translates to a fall from 63 to 51 extra work days.
The Executive Yuan has passed a new Act to address the challenges of an ageing population and potential future labour shortages.
A survey by the Ministry of Labour (MOL) found that 71.2% of workers were generally satisfied with their jobs, with 3.7% being dissatisfied.
Employment figures in the industrial and service sectors increased for the sixth consecutive month in November.
The government expects the number to drop further, with the upcoming Lunar New Year boosting domestic demand and businesses.
The wage hike is expected to benefit some 1,558,500 workers, which includes 1,097,700 Taiwanese and 460,800 foreigners.
The labour participation rate of people aged 50 and above is found to be significantly lower than that of Japan, South Korea and the US.
The Ministry of Labor (MOL) has announced that it will end a programme that allowed employers of migrant workers to apply for short-term extensions.
This marks an improvement from June’s high number of 31,000, which has fallen as the economic impact of COVID-19 has waned.
The Samsung-backed HR Tech startup now serves over 8,000 clients across Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, and plans to continue its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.
The most popular reasons for desiring change were low pay, poor working conditions, and poor company prospects.
Taiwanese firms are now expected to give lower year-end bonuses for the upcoming Chinese New Year in early February.
Monthly salaries of new hires in Taiwan dropped from the previous year, with engineering graduates receiving the highest pay compared to others.
According to official data unemployment dropped 0.05 percentage points from a month earlier to 3.7%.
This out of a total of 5.24 million adults aged between 15 to 64, who are not part of Taiwan's shrinking workforce.
