Fri, May 01, 2026 page2

• Employers call for end to caregiver replacement wait period

  • By Fion Khan / Staff writer, with CNA
  • • 
    • 
    • 

  A group of employers took to the streets on Labor Day today to demand the abolition of the replacement wait period for caregivers and the introduction of mandatory security deposits, criticizing the government for insufficient long-term care capacity.

  The alliance, formed by families employing migrant caregivers, raised four demands at a news conference outside the Ministry of Education: completely scrapping the replacement wait period, abolishing the employment stabilization fee, mandating prepaid airfare deposits and ending “one-stop” training sessions.

  The total costs of hiring a migrant caregiver can reach NT$40,000 per month, which is considerable for families that need a long-term caregiver, alliance convener Lin Ping-yang (林秉洋) said.

  

  A group of employers holds a news conference outside the Ministry of Education in Taipei today.

  Photo: CNA

  Monthly expenses, including wages and bonuses for not taking days off, amount to about NT$25,000 to NT$30,000, while food and accommodation cost another NT$15,000 to NT$25,000, Lin said, adding that there is also a monthly employment stabilization fee of NT$2,000.

  Despite rising costs, the quality of care has declined, he said.

  Migrant caregivers in the past were more willing to learn, had better attitudes, and were more compliant and inclined to integrate into families, he said.

  The situation is vastly different today, as unsuitable caregivers can linger in the home under the protection of the wait period, Lin said.

  Under regulations, employers often face months-long wait periods to replace workers who abscond or become involved in transfer disputes, he said, calling for amendments to the Employment Service Act (就業服務法) to eliminate the wait period.

  Once a worker is confirmed to have gone missing, absconded or transferred by mutual agreement, the government should immediately approve a replacement, he said.

  Imposing an “administrative penalty” leaves elderly care recipients and their families to shoulder the consequences, Lin said.

  Airfare costs for migrant workers who complete their contracts or are deported due to contraventions are almost entirely borne by employers, creating significant financial risk and inequity, he said.

  Lin urged the government to amend the law to establish a mandatory airfare insurance mechanism, so that ticket costs would be covered by a deposit if a worker returns home legally or is deported.

  Employers having to pay for workers’ contraventions is absurd, he said.

  Many people have no choice but to hire migrant workers due to caregiving needs, but flawed government regulations have tilted the balance of power in favor of workers, Taiwan Solidarity Union chairwoman Chou Ni-an (周倪安) said.

  The government has continually expanded migrant workers’ rights on human rights grounds, making it increasingly unbearable for employers, she said.

  The National Health Insurance (NHI) and labor insurance systems are sustained by citizens’ contributions, yet benefits are extended to foreigners who work in Taiwan for only short periods, she said.

  While Taiwanese are enrolled in the NHI system at birth, migrant workers gain access upon arrival, she said, calling it totally unreasonable.

  Despite enjoying extensive rights, some migrant workers do not honor their contracts and abscond, she said, adding that the use of the employment stabilization fund should be made transparent or the fee should be abolished.

  The Ministry of Labor has no comment as of press time.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    Police identify man who engaged in indecency at park

  • 2

    Taiwan’s GDP per capita lead fuels South Korean unease

  • 3

    McDonald’s to raise prices on select items from May 27

  • 4

    Wildlife cam sex scene drawing copycats, visitors

  • 5

    Trump weighs Taiwan arms package