【2025】How to avoid missing out on this year’s hourly wage increase?

In 2025, Taiwan will usher in a new wave of minimum wage and hourly salary increases. In the context of a gradual economic recovery and rising prices, labor rights will once again receive widespread attention. Whether you are a full-time employee, a part-time worker, a corporate employer or a human resources worker, how to grasp the key points of the 2025 hourly wage increase and avoid damage to your rights and interests or labor disputes has become one of the most important human resources issues of the year. According to the latest policy, the hourly wage increase that will take effect on January 1, 2025 will not only affect personal income and insurance rights, but also directly affect the company's personnel costs and management operations. If there is no immediate response, it may lead to employers being punished for violating the law and workers suffering wage losses.

This news feature comprehensively analyzes the hourly wage increase regulations, practical applications, what employers/workers should pay attention to, common disputes and coping methods, and is supplemented with checklists and charts to help you grasp the complete strategy for the 2025 hourly wage increase in one page.

Hourly wage increase regulations and key points in 2025

Comparison of the new hourly wage in 2025 with previous years

In 2025, Taiwan’s minimum monthly salary and time salary will both be adjusted. The monthly salary will increase from 27,470 yuan to 28,590 yuan, and the hourly wage will increase from 183 yuan to 190 yuanThe increases were 4.08% and 3.83% respectively. This wave of hourly wage increases is expected to 2.5 million workers directly benefited, and led to the adjustment of labor and health insurance coverage levels.

Table 1: Overview of basic salary adjustments from 2019 to 2025

Important reminder：All employers and employees subject to the Labor Standards Act must implement the new system, which must not be lower than the basic salary and basic hourly wage.

Impact of price hike and regulatory responsibilities

The hourly wage increase is not just a numerical adjustment, but also includes the following key responsibilities and impacts:

• Increase in overtime pay: Overtime pay, national holiday pay, etc. are all calculated based on the new hourly wage rate.
• Labor and health insurance coverage levels are adjusted simultaneously: Starting from 2025, the Ministry of Labor will increase the first-level bracket to 28,590 yuan, which will directly lead to changes in labor and health insurance costs.
• Rising personnel costs：Companies need to plan budget adjustments in advance.
• Heavy fines for offenders: Those who fail to increase wages in accordance with regulations may be fined up to NT$1 million, must pay the difference in wages, and may also face labor dispute litigation.

Emphasis on labor, business, and HR practice

Common hourly wage increase Q&A

1. Who will benefit from the 2025 hourly wage increase?
All part-time workers, part-time employees, work-study students, and hourly employees protected by the Labor Standards Act are guaranteed the new hourly wage of $190. Even if the working hours are less than a full month, they are still calculated based on the hourly wage.

2. What are the risks if the employer does not increase the salary?

• They may be fined by the labor inspection department, with the amount ranging from NT$20,000 to NT$1,000,000.
• The difference in unpaid wages must be paid.
• There is a risk of facing labor-management mediation lawsuits and damage to their image.

3. How can working people protect themselves?

• Proactively check salary details, confirm whether the new hourly wage has been increased.
• If there is no increase in wages, you can directly claim your rights from your employer or file a complaint with the local labor bureau.

4. How will labor and health insurance change?
After the hourly wage increase, for a small number of low-wage hourly wage earners, if their total monthly salary exceeds the grade range, the company and HR should take the initiative to increase the insured salary grade range.

5. Does the salary structure need to be changed?
It is recommended to simultaneously review the overall salary structure to ensure equal pay for equal work, without compressing gaps or creating adverse differences, and to avoid a situation where the new is scarce and the old is low.

Practical work list: Avoid missing out on price hike opportunities

Employers/HR must do

• Check payroll and shift schedule coverage:
  • Confirm the number of hourly employees, working hours distribution, and salary range
  • Complete the batch adjustment before January 1, 2025, and update the hourly wages of all part-time students, part-timers, and hourly workers
  • Notice of salary increase for staff
  • Increased in tandem with labor and health insurance
• Communication and education with employees:
  • Explain the basis for the hourly wage increase and salary changes
  • Provide price increase details and proactively answer questions
• Make good use of working hours and salary tools to reduce human errors
  • Use digital payroll system to assist management and avoid omissions
  • Prepare annual budget

Steps for Workers to Protect Themselves

• Active self-check list:
  • After January 2025, check the pay slip/transfer details to see if they are based on the new hourly wage.
  • If you find that the salary has not been increased, report it to HR/supervisor as soon as possible.
  • If necessary, file a complaint with the Labor Bureau.

Analysis of classic cases and common disputes

Typical violation cases

Advice on preventing disputes

• Both parties signed the salary change consent letter, which is solid evidence.
• Working hours/overtime/shift schedules are fully digitized to preserve records and proof.
• If you encounter any problems, take the initiative to coordinate with your supervisor/labor-management committee to handle them in advance.

List of Labor and Health Insurance Insurance Levels (Effective January 1, 2025)

remind：The insured salary must correspond to the hourly wage income, and each increase must be reviewed simultaneously to avoid the risk of retroactive registration of labor and health insurance.

【Three major pitfalls and countermeasures for hourly wage increase in 2025】

1. Only some personnel were transferred, and the list was omitted

trap: The increase only applies to those with obviously low wages, ignoring some hourly-paid part-time jobs or short-term employment.

Countermeasures: Use the payroll system to view the labor patterns of all employees at a glance, make batch adjustments, and avoid manual omissions.

2. Working hours do not meet the monthly salary range and underreporting labor and health insurance

trap: Part-time jobs with high working hours have not been upgraded according to the new insurance levels.

Countermeasures: Regularly review the monthly working hours and income of hourly employees, and if they exceed the basic salary, the insurance level must be increased.

3. Improperly reducing working hours to circumvent regulations

trap: Some employers adjust working hours to lower base wages, but this does not match the actual working conditions.

Countermeasures: Full payment will be made based on actual attendance. It is recommended that HR proactively monitor the system and the authenticity of the shift schedule.

Yuwai Reminder: How Employers and HR Can Efficiently Deal with Price Increases

Digital tools become a trend

It is recommended that enterprises make full use of digital systems to eliminate tedious operations through batch adjustment and automatic notification. Professional HR system services such as Femas HR, which can help companies "apply new annual salary ranges with one click" and "automatically generate salary details"; if bloggers or content promoters want to increase their income through affiliate marketing, they can consider joining platforms such as AffiMarket. AffiMarket is a professional affiliate marketing platform that connects Chinese and English users. It combines tourism, e-commerce, and AI tools to provide promoters with free teaching resources and consulting guidance to help everyone create stable passive income.

Five key actions to avoid missing out on hourly wage increases

1. Check the announcements of the Ministry of Labor regularly to understand the progress of the new system
2. Check salary structure and shift schedule simultaneously to avoid omissions
3. Use a payroll management system to improve accuracy
4. Actively announce and clearly communicate to stabilize labor-capital relations
5. Workers take the initiative to protect their rights and interests

If the above steps can be completed in order, not only will you be able to smoothly enjoy the benefits of the hourly wage increase in 2025, but you will also be able to reduce operational risks, gain a firm advantage and balance your rights and interests in the new year.

As the overall environment and policies continue to change in 2025, every worker and business owner cannot ignore the impact of hourly wage increases on themselves. Only by continuing to stay sensitive to information, actively communicating with employer management units, and flexibly using digital solutions can we truly seize this opportunity of hourly wage increases, create a fairer and more secure working environment, and welcome the new year.