Fewer foreign workers to get year-end bonus

Nearly 77 percent of workers in foreign-based businesses or organizations in Taiwan will receive year-end bonuses this year, compared with 82 percent of workers last year, according to the results of a recent survey released yesterday.

The survey was conducted by the online employer service provider 1111 Job Bank of 619 workers at foreign-based companies or organizations between Dec. 21, 2007 and Jan. 4, 2008.

While 75.28 percent of respondents said their employers issue year-end bonuses every year, 1.45 percent said their employers did not pay them year end bonuses in past years but will do so this year.

The results show that the amount to be received by the workers this year averages NT$66,490.

By industry, workers in the information and hi-tech industries are expected to receive the highest amount, at NT$86,292 on average. On average, workers in the real estate-related industries will receive NT$85,001, those in the medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural industries will get NT$84,091, those in the trade and retail industries will receive NT$69,964, and those in the manufacturing and labor-intensive industries will find themselves NT$60,509 richer.

The average bonus for workers in the media and publishing industries will be NT$56,347, for those in the industrial and commercial service sector it will be NT$50,673, and those working in the education sector, government agencies or civic organizations will receive NT$40,001.

Meanwhile, a total of 14.22 percent of respondents said their employers have never issued year-end bonuses to workers, and 9.05 percent said their employers paid them in past years but will not do so this year.

On the reasons for the businesses to stop issuing year-end bonuses this year, 41.07 percent of the affected workers said their employers did not make a profit over the past year, 26.79 percent attributed the situation to the change in their companies' organization, and 17.86 percent blamed it on the sluggish economy.