Summer Job Violation Rate Nears 25%, Groups Urge Increased Labor Inspections to Prevent Exploitation

(CNA Taipei, June 30) Summer vacation is the peak season for part-time jobs. Democratic Progressive Party legislator Lin Yueh-ching, along with the Labor Union and the Taiwan Youth Association for the Promotion of Social Welfare, held a press conference today pointing out that the violation rate in special summer labor inspections is nearly one-quarter. They urged for increased risk-oriented labor inspections, enhanced labor education, and higher penalties for minimum wage violations to prevent summer from becoming a season of exploitation.

Ms. Huang, a youth representative, shared her experience at the "Summer Vacation Arrives in Full Force, Students Working Part-Time Sigh" press conference today. She stated that many teenagers look for short-term work opportunities during the summer. Many employers agree on work content verbally, lacking clear written contracts, which leads to risks. She encountered an employer who only enrolled her in labor insurance one to two weeks after she started working, making her worry, "What if I got injured during that time?"

Legislator Lin Yueh-ching pointed out that disadvantaged youth, due to family finances and life pressures, need to earn income quickly and take on summer jobs. However, due to their young age, lack of skills, difficulty in coordinating work hours, unfamiliarity with their rights, and inconvenient transportation in remote areas, coupled with a shortage of quality jobs, they often have to accept high-risk, low-protection work, or face treatment below legal standards such as wages below the minimum wage and no labor or health insurance.

Lin Yueh-ching stated that past reports from the Taiwan Youth Association for the Promotion of Social Welfare showed that 40% of teenagers working part-time during the summer did not have labor insurance. Furthermore, data from non-governmental organizations indicates that the number of 15-year-old youths working on construction sites is actually higher than that of 17 and 18-year-old youths, highlighting that the younger the age, the more likely they are to be pushed into dangerous workplaces. The Ministry of Labor should encourage businesses to provide safe summer job opportunities for young people, strengthen special summer labor inspections, and regularly review their effectiveness.

Ma Ming-yi, Director of the Education and Promotion Department of the Taiwan Labor Union, pointed out that the violation rate in the Ministry of Labor's special summer labor inspections in 2024 was nearly 25%, higher than the regular labor inspection rate of 21%. Moreover, the food and beverage industry, the most common choice for young people, has the highest number of violations, with several chain restaurant operators on the list, indicating that young people face higher workplace risks than the general population.

Regarding wages, Ma Ming-yi stated that after the Minimum Wage Act came into effect, out of 193 cases fined for excessively low wages, 166 were only fined NT$20,000. This may lead employers to prefer paying fines when caught violating the law rather than paying the minimum wage.

Chang Yu-chia, Secretary-General of the Taiwan Youth Association for the Promotion of Social Welfare, called on the government to conduct risk-oriented labor inspections in common workplaces for young people, strengthen penalties and repeat offender handling under the "Minimum Wage Act," and expedite the promotion of the "Labor Education Promotion Act." The goal is to place protection before harm occurs, preventing a young person's first job from becoming their first experience of exploitation.

The groups called for increased risk-oriented labor inspections for high-risk occupations for young part-time workers, in addition to existing special labor inspections. They urged for the prompt revision of penalties under the "Minimum Wage Act" to enhance the protection of student workers and part-time employees, and to accelerate the legislative process for the "Labor Education Promotion Act." Through the education system, young people can obtain the tools to protect their labor rights. (Edited by Chang Chun-mao) 06/30/115

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