外媒點出台灣企業文化弊病 疫情下居家上班成最大挑戰

【看CP學英文】截至5月19日，台灣已累計2,533個本土新型冠狀肺炎感染案例，也因此近日全台防疫警戒提至第三級，導致許公司需要調整為居家上班的工作模式。

As Taiwan recorded 2,533 locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases as of May 19, the country has issued a nationwide level 3 epidemic warning, leading many businesses to ask staff to “work from home.”

然而，對於台灣許多大公司來說，將上班模式全部轉為線上工作是個莫大的轉變。

Yet, going “fully remote” is a big adjustment for many Taiwanese firms.

根據美國報社《石英》所述，即使在疫情嚴峻時期，亞洲國家普遍的企業文化導致許多大企業拒絕員工提出的遠距上班要求。

According to an article published by Quartz, the business culture prevalent in most Asian countries has led to many large firms denying employees’ request to work entirely from home despite fears of the spread of the virus.

此文章更點出，一位在台灣從事傳播策略職位的上班族表示，近期收到雇主統一發的信件，提醒員工「在家上班不等同於在家休息」。

The article quoted a Taiwan-based communications strategist who was told by her company to remind employees that “working from home does not mean resting at home.”

作者點出即使台灣的醫療體系非常健全，然而礙於「過度強調需要見到本人這樣過時的企業文化」，拒絕讓員工遠距上班可能造成疫情更加嚴峻。

The author pointed out that refusing to let employees go fully remote because of an “old-fashioned work culture that overly values face-to-face time” could result in the pandemic getting even worse despite the country’s advanced healthcare system.

文章中也指出，政府也僅提供意見讓企業遵循，因此許多公司採取輪班制，讓一半的員工在家上班，另一半仍要進辦公室，適度的調換。

Quartz argues that government policies have merely made suggestions for companies to follow, resulting in many firms taking the middle road in creating rotating schedules that see half of their employees in offices while the other half works from home.

這樣的策略也使許多上班族的家長在面對政府勒令將所有高中以下的小學停學至5月28日時，感到十分困擾。

This posed a big problem, however, as the government simultaneously ordered the shut-down of in-person classes for all children 18 and under from May 19 until May 28, posing a big dilemma for parents who still have to work in the office.

雖然明文規定家長可以請特殊照顧假，政府卻讓企業自主決定准假的雇主是否要在期間提供員工薪水。

Though special leave can be taken by parents, the government has left it up to the companies to decide whether such time off would be paid or unpaid.

台灣這樣堅持要看到員工在辦公室工作的固執想法可能帶給抗疫工作更多的挑戰和麻煩。

These “stubborn hallmarks of Taiwan’s corporate environment” of insisting employees be seen sitting at their desk working, could pose a problem for the effectiveness of Taiwan’s combat against the daily surge of local COVID-19 cases.

更多 ChinaPost 新聞
公司設置「消毒通道」防疫 員工疑惑：洗車還是洗人？｜Taiwanese company sets car wash-like disinfecting route for staff
外國人今年最愛哪個國家？彭博社大讚：台灣再度奪冠 | Taiwan ranked No. 1 by expats in 2021 ‘year of uncertainty’
南韓超狂牛仔褲設計爆紅 網友傻眼：腳是被截斷？｜Fans don’t know whether to love or hate South Korea designer’s ‘slashed jeans’