TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Employers in Taiwan who seek to replace migrant workers that have left their jobs without notice will now face a shorter waiting period of 1 to 3 months, according to an amendment made to Article 58 of the Employment Service Act on April 21.
The amendment applies to employers of domestic migrant workers who have died, left Taiwan, or absconded without notice and reduces the waiting period for replacements from three months to one.
Employers can now apply for replacements in the industrial sector after three months instead of the previous six.
Local media reports suggest that the number of undocumented migrant workers in Taiwan has increased in recent years.
Taiwan has an estimated 730,000 migrant workers. According to the Ministry of Labor, about 20,000 workers have run away from their jobs each year for the past ten years.
As of February this year, authorities estimated that the total number of undocumented migrant workers in Taiwan totaled around 83,000.
Both the ruling and opposition parties have welcomed the new amendment, with the Democratic Progressive Party pointing out that approximately 360,000 Taiwanese people quit their jobs each year to care for their families full-time.
The new regulations could benefit around 1.14 million households in Taiwan.
While the amendment will help employers apply for new foreign workers faster and alleviate the burden of those who need 24/7 care for family members, some are worried that it could exacerbate the issue of migrant workers running off.
Migrant workers in Taiwan are often overworked and underpaid, leading them to take drastic measures to seek better job opportunities elsewhere.
The government must address the root causes of migrant workers running off to make changes accordingly and mitigate the issue.
