One op-ed, two languages, and a slew of challenges that await us
Last November, my #DearPresident op-ed was published by Taiwan’s CommonWealth Magazine, and my friend kindly provided a Spanish adaptation for sharing on my blog. In extending the original thought exercise, which was to write a candid letter to the future president of our country, I have also appended some quotes from Freedom House’s latest “Freedom in the World” report on the challenges that face Taiwan ahead.
In this op-ed, author Min Chao discusses the negative impact of prioritizing productivity over personal time in Taiwan. And why it is important to return free time to people for a quality life and a more vibrant democracy.
Personal time cannot be sacrificed at the altar of national productivity
In a country where queuing is a national pastime, we Taiwanese are rather rubbish at saving time. “Efficiency” is achieved by eliminating the more pleasant moments in life — trading breakfast with family for eating alone at the office, a shorter dog walk that’s not even at the pup’s favorite park two streets down, or skipping the reward of taking an actual break in favor of generating more traffic congestion and pollution with our ever-growing reliance on food deliveries and online purchases to off-set crunch-time stress and post-work fatigue.
When time is measured out and evaluated in terms of checklists, it harms productivity in the long run. Revenge shopping, eating, and vacationing are forms of coping. Panic or compulsive buying is born from stress and anxiety, not desire. If loyalty is weighed in terms of excessive on-the-job hours, what’s the incentive for getting the task done better, faster, or with a new approach?
People here worked an average of 2,008 hours in 2022. That’s roughly 8.13 hours per working day, notwithstanding undocumented overtime, after-hours messaging, and gig work, garnering Taiwan the title of being the 6th most-overworked economy (out of the 39 surveyed by the Ministry of Labor last year) and the expected honor of having the world’s lowest birthrate by 2035, according to the National Development Council.
In fact, 2011–2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Insurance reveals a total of 679 overwork-related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs), including 236 cases of death and 173 permanent disability. 509 people died from being overworked in 2021, says the Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link, a local nonprofit.
These are, obviously, interlocking issues exacerbated by Taiwan’s relentless pursuit of efficiency. But what pride is there in an economy propped up by forced obedience and the sacrifice of personal liberties? Where is the logic in reducing workers to productivity and expenditure numbers when individuals should be cultivated for lifelong potential, not daily output? How did we end up with a present that is certain to deliver a childless-future for so many couples in Taiwan?
Mister Future President of Taiwan, you will have to navigate a global climate crisis, a rising coalition of ambitious dictators, and the unshakable specter of a Taiwan Strait war. An aging society comprising 23.58 million of residents and immigrants as well as an abundance of diverse flora and fauna call this island chain home. This is why I hope you can afford to rest, relax, and reflect.
I sincerely wish you will have the time to enjoy a good sleep every night, and a nice stroll the next day. I believe that you are entitled to spending quality time with your family and friends, to have a life outside of work. Because only then will you be able to make the most-informed decisions on behalf of the state. Only then will you grow in resilience and perseverance. I ask that you make this a reality for everyone else in Taiwan: return free time to the people.
Abolish the make-up holiday system. Raise minimum wages to mirror the consumer price index, i.e. what the average household spends given the mounting cost of living in Taiwan. Make labor equality for Taiwanese, migrant, and foreign workers a cornerstone of your presidency. Reward and protect whistleblowers. Champion a new work culture that values authenticity over face, rights over gains, quality over quantity, and diversity over uniformity.
Dear Future President, return to people the opportunity to drive slower and walk safer, to cook a meal and read a book, to bond with loved ones and nature, to meet each other and find themselves, to start a family, to reinvent our routines and explore new interests, to reimagine this country’s collective future and relish living today — as a people who have the time to fully enjoy and exercise our rights afforded by this democracy. This could be your legacy.
And a Spanish adaptation of the op-ed that was kindly provided by a friend:
No podemos sacrificar nuestro tiempo en aras de la productividad nacional
A los taiwaneses, que hemos convertido el hacer cola en un pasatiempo nacional, se nos da tremendamente mal optimizar el tiempo. Nuestra manera de ser eficientes consiste en renunciar a los momentos más agradables de la vida: desayunamos a solas en la oficina en lugar de hacerlo en familia. Sacamos al perro a pasear menos tiempo del que querríamos y por un parque que no es su favorito pero está dos calles más cerca. Privados de la posibilidad de disponer del tiempo de descanso que merecemos, tratamos de compensar el estrés y el cansancio derivados del trabajo comprando por internet o pidiendo comida a domicilio aun a costa de generar más atascos y más contaminación.
Medir y valorar el tiempo en función del número de cosas que se logran tachar de una lista hace que la productividad termine resintiéndose. Intentamos resarcirnos con caprichos, comidas y vacaciones, pero es un mero mecanismo de compensación. Las compras compulsivas y el acaparamiento irracional nacen del estrés y de la ansiedad, no de un deseo genuino. ¿Y qué incentivo podemos tener para hacer las cosas mejor, más rápido o de forma más innovadora cuando la lealtad a la empresa se mide en horas de trabajo?
Los taiwaneses trabajamos un promedio de 2.008 horas en 2022. Vienen a ser unas 8,13 horas por día laborable (sin contar las horas extras no declaradas, el tiempo dedicado a contestar mensajes fuera del horario laboral y los trabajillos ocasionales), cifra que nos valió el título de sexta economía con mayor exceso de trabajo (de las 39 encuestadas por el Ministerio de Trabajo el año pasado) además del consiguiente honor de poseer la tasa de natalidad más baja del mundo prevista para 2035, según el Consejo Nacional de Desarrollo.
Los datos del período 2011–2019 de la Oficina de Seguro Laboral hablan de un total de 679 enfermedades cardiovasculares y cerebrovasculares relacionadas con el exceso de trabajo, incluidos 236 casos de muerte y 173 casos de discapacidad permanente. La organización sin ánimo de lucro Taiwan Occupational Safety and Health Link afirma que 509 personas murieron por exceso de trabajo en 2021.
Todas estas son cifras obviamente relacionadas que el afán de eficiencia que impera en Taiwán no hace más que agravar. ¿Debemos enorgullecernos de una economía sustentada por una obediencia impuesta y por el sacrificio de las libertades personales? ¿Es lógico restringir el valor de los trabajadores a lo que producen y lo que cuestan en lugar de tener en cuenta su potencial y cultivarlo? ¿Cómo hemos llegado hasta un presente que garantiza un futuro sin hijos para tantas parejas taiwanesas?
Futuro presidente de Taiwán: usted tendrá que hacer frente a una crisis climática global, una creciente coalición de dictadores ambiciosos y la pertinaz amenaza de guerra en el estrecho de Taiwán. Una sociedad envejecida que comprende 23,58 millones de residentes e inmigrantes, así como una gran cantidad flora y fauna tienen su hogar en esta cadena de islas. Espero que tenga ocasión de darse un respiro, sentarse y reflexionar.
Deseo de corazón que disponga de tiempo para dormir las horas que necesite, para dar paseos diarios. Usted tiene derecho a pasar tiempo con familiares y amigos, a tener vida fuera del trabajo. Solo así podrá tomar decisiones bien meditadas e informadas en nombre del Estado. Solo así ganará resiliencia y perseverancia. Le pido que haga de esto una realidad para el resto de taiwaneses: devuelva al pueblo su tiempo.
Acabe con el sistema de recuperación de vacaciones. Aumente el salario mínimo en consonancia con el índice de precios al consumo (teniendo en cuenta lo que gasta un hogar promedio tras el aumento del coste de la vida). Haga de la igualdad laboral entre trabajadores taiwaneses, inmigrantes y extranjeros una piedra angular de su presidencia. Recompense y proteja a quienes alertan de los fallos e injusticias del sistema. Promueva una nueva cultura laboral que valore la autenticidad por encima de las apariencias, los derechos por encima de las ganancias, la calidad por encima de la cantidad y la diversidad por encima de la uniformidad.
Estimado futuro presidente: devuélvanos la posibilidad de conducir más despacio, de caminar por la calle sin miedo a ser atropellados, de cocinar, de leer, de estar con los nuestros, de disfrutar de la naturaleza, de relacionarnos y de encontrarnos, de formar una familia, de reinventar nuestra rutina y explorar nuevos intereses, de reimaginar el futuro colectivo de la nación y de disfrutar la vida como un pueblo que dispone de tiempo para disfrutar de los derechos que nos otorga esta democracia. Este podría ser su legado.
A more rested, alert Taiwan will be more equipped to navigate the choppy waters ahead. Read on for quotes taken from the “Freedom in the World 2024” report released yesterday, in which Freedom House ranked Taiwan as the second-freest country in Asia, behind only Japan, and discussed ongoing concerns regarding political rights and civil liberties here:
· Chinese interference in Taiwan’s elections, largely through disinformation campaigns and influence over certain media outlets and local agents, remains a serious concern. Beijing has historically sought to indirectly influence elections through third parties, and to undermine public confidence in the Taiwanese political system.
· According to a 2020 Transparency International survey, 90 percent of people in Taiwan think corruption in government is a problem. Political and business interests are closely intertwined, leading to malfeasance in government procurement. Corruption and criminal behavior are perceived as persisting in local government.
· Most workers enjoy freedom of association, though the government strictly regulates the right to strike. Teachers, defense-industry workers, and government employees are prohibited from striking. Workers hired through temporary agencies cannot organize or participate in collective bargaining.
· Despite constitutionally enshrined equal-rights protections, women face discrimination in employment and compensation.
· Taiwanese law does not allow for asylum or refugee status. The government has provided temporary visas and humanitarian services to people fleeing persecution in Hong Kong, but has reportedly been more restrictive in granting permanent-residency requests.
· Urban renewal and industrial projects have been criticized for unfairly displacing residents. Housing advocates have called for legal amendments to clarify residency rights, including protections against forced eviction, and the establishment of an appeals system to review alleged violations.
· Many of Taiwan’s 700,000 migrant workers are mistreated or exploited by employers… they are subjected to the withholding of wages, long working hours, physical and sexual abuse, lack of food or medical care, denial of sleep, substandard safety equipment, poor living conditions, and extortion or fraud by recruitment and brokerage agencies.
· For-profit universities have reportedly recruited foreign students — especially from Indonesia — and then placed them into exploitative labor conditions under the pretense of educational opportunity.
Prevalent abuse of international students through forced labor and debt trap by certain unscrupulous universities is a blight on the soul of our country. These wretched accounts by exploited students ranging from the Philippines to Uganda (as reported by The News Lens, The Reporter, and the Taipei Times) underscore the inherent failures of prioritizing productivity (the economy) over personal liberties (the people) in Taiwan.
A burnt-out society becomes more susceptible to foreign disinformation and more distrustful of its own government. A work culture that does not value its workers is a culture of self-sabotage. A community that remains guarded or discriminatory against newcomers and those in need of assistance, or even prey on the innocent, is reaping pittances in exchange for concrete, long-term losses.
Dear President William Lai Ching-te, I ask that you champion a new work culture that values authenticity over face, rights over gains, quality over quantity, and diversity over uniformity. Return free time and individual dignity to the people. This could be your legacy.
