Minister to Consider High-Temperature Leave |放高溫假? 勞動部長首度鬆口:考慮研議

Taiwan has had been having blistering weather lately, leading to calls for "high-temperature vacation days." Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun says her ministry will consider granting this type of leave. But some companies say the government needs to be careful about adding vacation days as it could affect the willingness to invest in Taiwan. Meanwhile, labor groups say high-temperature leave should only apply to certain jobs, such as those that require workers to spend a long time outdoors under the sun.


This worker is responsible for taking care of the plants lining the fences of construction sites. He works outdoors nearly every day, for up to eight hours. He goes outside to work no matter what the weather conditions are like. When he first heard about "high-temperature vacation days," he was very happy. However, after he thought about it for a while, he said he'd rather work and earn money. Moreover, even if such a type of vacation policy exists, it might not help him.

My daily wage is NT$1,600, and the manpower agency takes NT$500 of that. I work eight hours a day. We only get paid if we work, so high-temperature vacation days are no use to us.

Taiwan has been having a heat wave in recent days, and those who work outdoors are suffering. In China, when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, workers receive a "high-temperature allowance." When the temperature exceeds 40 degrees, outdoor work is canceled. There have been calls for Taiwan to follow the example of China. Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun says she will consider such a policy.

Society needs to come to a consensus before we can consider allowing high-temperature vacation days.
Meanwhile, companies say the policy cannot be arbitrary, and a cautious approach is needed to ensure it won't increase the burden on employers.

What measures should be taken when there are high temperatures? Vacation days are not the solution. Uncertain elements will lead to a slowdown in investment.

Some countries where temperatures frequently surpass 40 degrees Celsius offer "heatwave vacation days." Taiwan is not that hot, although there is sometimes abnormal weather. The Ministry of Labor says it will study the possibility of starting this type of vacation.