After entering the workforce, most employees face rules at their workplaces designed to ensure punctuality, often including penalties for being late or leaving early. Recently, a woman online spotted a post about a company that deducted RM7 from an employee’s salary for being just one minute late or leaving one minute early, charging it as a full hour of pay. She pointed out that this policy is problematic and violates labor law regulations, sparking discussion. Despite many acknowledging the issue, some lamented, “You still have to work to earn money, so you just grit your teeth and do it.”
The woman posted anonymously on the forum Dcard under the title “Why Many Taiwanese Work in Jobs That Violate Labor Law.” She noted that the company’s rule—deducting RM7 (NT$50) for being one minute late—is inconsistent with Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act. The law requires employers not to deduct more than the proportion of work not performed and to calculate deductions based on the employee’s hourly or monthly wage. Deducting RM7 for a single minute or rounding short delays to a full hour is therefore an incorrect practice and may be illegal.
Many readers agreed with her assessment, but most expressed resignation, saying things like, “This is common in Taiwan, so you still have to do the job,” or “If you complain, you might have to change companies.” A few, however, shared bolder experiences. One said, “I used to work in a restaurant where they deducted RM2.80 (NT$20) for being one minute late. I told the manager I would report them because it was ridiculous.”
According to legal expert Su Hong-Wen, as cited by 104 Job Bank, deductions for lateness must be calculated correctly. For hourly workers, the formula is: hourly wage ÷ 60 × actual minutes late = deduction. For monthly salaried workers, it’s: monthly salary ÷ 30 ÷ 8 ÷ 60 × actual minutes late = deduction. Using flat-rate deductions like RM7 per minute or rounding up to a full hour violates labor law.
