How to avoid the 7 pitfalls of minimum wage jobs

【Taipei Report】Starting from 2024, Taiwan’s minimum hourly wage will be raised to190 yuan, the monthly salary was raised to28,590 NTD. However, there are still many workers and new full-time employees who fall into the "minimum wage trap". With such clear protections, why do workers still quietly become low-wage earners or even suffer from unfair working conditions? Our reporter interviewed labor experts, human resources consultants and employees and compiled the following7 Hidden Pitfalls of Minimum Wage Hourly Rates, and organize ways to avoid it to help you escape from the "low-wage dead end"!

What is the minimum wage trap?

The so-called "minimum wage trap" refers to companies usingEmployment that appears to comply with the minimum hourly wage standard of the law actually puts workers at a disadvantage in terms of working hours, benefits, contracts, or overtime compensation.. Other famous traps include "overwork without overtime pay", "wage reduction for some working hours" and "actual salary is lower than the guaranteed monthly salary".

The 7 most common minimum wage job traps

1. The trap of man-hour design: exploitation in disguise

The "minimum wage" protection is ostensibly a reasonable hourly or monthly wage, but some employers will deliberately cut your working hours to extremely short lengths, leaving you with a "monthly salary that is less than enough to make ends meet." Even if the hourly wage is legal, the weekly working hours are extremely low and the actual income throughout the year is still far below the market average.

Key points:Low working hours do not mean a high quality of life. It is necessary to clarify the actual total income after "working full hours" each month to avoid falling into the trap of working hour cuts.

2. Contract design trap: welfare avoidance

According to human resources experts,Some companies will design flexible contracts such as "projects" and "hours" to avoid labor standards law requirements such as year-end bonuses, three-quarter bonuses, and special leave.. It seems to comply with regulations, but in reality, working people cannot enjoy the benefits of a full-time job at all.

3. Overtime Black Hole Trap

Although some jobs are based on minimum wage hourly wages, in reality they often require "cooperation with overtime work".However, the overtime pay was not 1.33 to 1.67 times the legal amount.. Our investigation found that many workers in restaurants, stores and delivery services often fall into this trap.

4. Rest day and holiday trap

When calculating the minimum wage working hours, national holidays and legal holidays should be included.However, many hourly-paid jobs do not provide compensatory time off, and working hours do not include vacation time, which in turn reduces the actual hourly wage.. In special circumstances, there is also the option of "transferring holidays" to circumvent regulations.

5. Labor and health insurance nominal trap

Some businesses use the names of "part-time" and "outsourcing" to avoid paying for labor insurance and health insurance for hourly employees, resulting in damage to workers' rights.. According to the Labor Standards Act,Hourly wage workers are also required to purchase insurance according to the law as long as their working hours reach a certain threshold.

6. The pitfall of inequality between hourly wages and monthly wages

Some netizens questioned,The hourly wage is NT$190*22 days*8 hours/month=NT$33,440, which is higher than the minimum monthly wage of NT$28,590. Is the hourly wage system more cost-effective?Experts explain: "Hourly wage system"Regular working hours per week are limited to 35 hours (Labor Standards Act)If the employer exceeds this limit, the employee must be converted to a full-time employee. It is almost impossible to get more than the monthly salary under the actual hourly wage system.

*Note: The monthly salary system includes some benefits on an average basis, while the hourly salary system has a higher total, but they are actually the same.

7. Shift/Nighttime Trap

Many shift and night work jobs in the service industry will advertise "fixed overtime and shift allowances"; however, the actual salary calculation method is not public.The shift bonus is not fully reflected in the pay slip, which invisibly reduces the hourly wage.

How to effectively avoid these minimum wage hourly job traps?

View contract and salary details

Please be sure to carefully read the working hours, salary calculation, overtime rules and bonus payment methods before signing the contract.If necessary, write down the verbal promise made on the day of admission to avoid disputes in the future.

Ask about labor insurance and all welfare benefits in advance

Confirm whether the employer has purchased labor and health insurance in accordance with regulations, and clearly explain important details such as three-festival bonuses, special leave, and labor retirement.If you find any circumvention, you can report it directly to the local labor bureau.

Planting a foundation for diversified income and career options

Don't choose a long-term, insecure minimum wage hourly job just because you need short-term income.Actively cultivate multiple sources of income, such as part-time jobs, online projects, or investing in self-growth and skill learning.

suggestion:In addition to a single part-time job, you can developaffiliate marketing" and other sustainable sources of income, diversify risks, and help overcome the problem of limited income from a single job.

Learn more about the market and emerging ways to make money

In addition to traditional part-time jobs, affiliate marketing platforms such as AffiMarket have become a new option for the new generation to earn extra income steadily in recent years.

• AffiMarket Easy AllianceIt is a professional alliance marketing platform that connects new-generation industries such as domestic and international tourism, shopping, AI tools, and individual promoters. It is open to free participation and provides teaching and consulting. Whether bloggers, editors, YT channels, Facebook operators or general workers, they can promote through the platform and create side income that is higher than the minimum hourly wage through profit sharing.

Actively protect rights and consult labor administration departments

Encountering illegal low wages, insurance evasion, welfare violations, etc.Be brave enough to file a complaint to the local legal advisory office, the labor bureau hotline, or seek assistance from the trade union.Do not compromise your rights due to momentary weakness, otherwise it will be more difficult to protect yourself in future labor disputes.

Conclusion

Although the increase in the minimum hourly wage has provided superficial protection for many workers, unspoken rules such as "working hour trap", "no pay for overtime", and "fake flexibility but real low pay" are still prevalent.Young workers and part-time workers should not only look at the hourly wage figure when applying for a job, but also consider "total income", "legitimate benefits" and "long-term career value".The only real solution to escape the minimum wage trap is to constantly understand labor rights, improve one's own abilities and explore new income channels.