About 78% of workers still attend work despite county and city governments announcing official typhoon holidays. That’s according to an online survey released on Wednesday.
The information comes as the impact of Typhoon Saola caused work and class cancellations for some areas of Pingtung and Kaohsiung on Wednesday.
The survey, conducted by yes123 job bank showed that the industries with the most employees working during typhoon days are media and advertising, wholesale and retail, and hospitality.
Even when governments declare official typhoon holidays, over 12% of companies still require their staff to be present. Among workers who do report to work during typhoons, 74% have indicated that their companies do not provide protective measures. Furthermore, almost 20% of workers claim to have sustained job-related injuries.
The survey respondents suggest that more than 55% of employers will still pay full wages if workers take typhoon leave and more than 20% of workers pointed out that their company provides compensatory time off or double salary.
82% of companies said they are willing to provide hazard pay to outdoor workers who engage in work directly related to the effects or aftermath of natural disasters. When surveyed workers were asked how much they thought they should receive in hazard pay, the amounts given averaged NT$2,526 per month. However, surveyed employers said they were only willing to pay about 64% of that amount, around NT$1,600 per month.
The survey was conducted from August 11 to 24, 2023, and collected 1,290 valid responses from full-time workers 20 years old and above, along with 994 responses from employers. The survey had a confidence level of 95%, a 2.73% margin of error for workers, and a 3.11% for employers.