Ethics of Hour and Wage Regulations in Singapore and Taiwan

Taiwan

Environmental Regulations

Labor Standards Act

Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act supersedes the Minimum Wage Act of 1956. It was enacted in 1984. The act “makes provisions for working hours, work leave, and the employment of women and children. Furthermore, the law offers protections against unreasonable work hours and forced labor” (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011). Deloitte (2010), defines that specific parameters for the maximum working hours as 42 hours per week (or 84 hours biweekly) and no more than 46 hours of overtime a month.  The most recent minimum hourly wage adjustment was in the October 1997-September 1998 period. The rate was set at NT$66 (US$2.19).

Labor Insurance Act

The Labor Insurance Act was passed into Taiwan Law in 1958. The act mandates insurance coverage provisions be provided to private sector employees. “Teachers and employees working in government agencies who are not eligible for teachers' or civil servants' insurance are also covered under this law” (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2011).

Additional Notable Regulations

-        Employment Promotion Measures law-1985

-        Labor Safety and Health Law- 1991

-         Employment Services Act- 1992

-         Labor Inspection Law

-        Collective Agreement Law

Ethics

I believe that these environmental regulations are sufficient for the people that are working in Taiwan. They are very similar to those that we have here in the United States of America. “According to the International Labour Organization (ILO)1, the standard weekly working hours (excluding overtime) cannot exceed 48 hours per week and eight hours a day” (Maplecroft, n.d.) so they are also very close to the standards given internationally. They may even be more sufficient and ethical because they have a limit to the hours that their people can work. The U.S. does not have limitations on the number of hours that can be working per week. The regulations seem reasonable and fair.

Singapore

Environmental Regulations

            Legislation on Wages

 “Minimum wage systems are implemented in Australia, the United States (US), France, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, China, the United Kingdom (UK). Singapore does not have such a system” (LIU & WU, 1999).

Employment Act

The Employment Act of 1968 sets guidelines for the maximum number of hours an individual can work. An employee cannot be asked to work for more than 12 hours in a day under the Employment Act. The standard hours worked weekly for people living in Singapore is 44. Overtime work is limited to 72 hours a month. It also sets the overtime pay rate as one and a half times the regular pay rate.

Ethics

I don’t think that the regulations that are set in place in Singapore are sufficient enough to protect all of the workers. People could be asked to work for next to nothing and they have no rights against that. I believe that they should set up some sort of a minimum wage to make the regulations of the country more ethical for the workers that live there.

References

Deloitte. (2010). International Tax and Business Law: Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Tax/Intl%20Tax%20and%20Business%20Guides/2010/dtt_tax_guide_2010_Singapore.pdf.

Deloitte. (2010). International Tax and Business Law: Taiwan. Retrieved from http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-Global/Local%20Assets/Documents/Tax/Intl%20Tax%20and%20Business%20Guides/2010/dtt_tax_guide_2010_Taiwan.pdf.

Encyclopedia of the Nations. (2011). Taiwan Working conditions, Information about Working conditions in Taiwan. Retrieved from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Taiwan-WORKING-CONDITIONS.html#ixzz1g9LByqst.

Maplecroft. (n.d.) Working Hours. Retrieved from http://human-rights.unglobalcompact.org/dilemmas/working-hours/.