The number of employers that had unpaid leave programs in place and the number of workers on unpaid leave in the second half of September both decreased compared with the first half of the month, government statistics showed Monday.
As of Sept. 30, 24 employers had unpaid leave programs in place, compared with 26 in the first two weeks of the month, according to Ministry of Labor (MOL) data.
Meanwhile, a total of 542 workers were on furlough, compared with 662 in the first half of September, the MOL said.
Affected by the economic slowdown, some employers have been asking their workers to take one to four days of unpaid leave per month for a period of up to three months, the MOL said.
Most of the companies that had employees on unpaid leave were small enterprises with workforces of fewer than 50 employees, according to the ministry.
To reduce the financial impact on workers who have been affected by unpaid leave, the government has implemented a NT$20 billion (US$637 million) program to offer them training to upgrade their job skills.
Under the program, the trainees receive a stipend of NT$100 per hour to help meet their living expenses, up to a maximum of NT$12,000 per month.
Employees also have the option of taking online training courses that are available on the website of the ministry’s Skill Evaluation Center, it said.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel