Domestic Migrant Worker Employer Support Program to Launch in First Half of Year, Respite Days to Increase
Taiwan's Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Health and Welfare are launching a three-pronged support program for domestic migrant worker employers in the first half of this year, aiming to increase respite days, enhance management support, and reduce administrative burdens. This initiative addresses challenges faced by household employers managing 220,000 domestic migrant workers.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 15:40
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 16:01 (21 min after Published)
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Wu Hsin-Yun, Taipei, 30th) Taiwan has 220,000 domestic migrant workers. To provide more support to employers of domestic migrant workers, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have drafted a three-pronged support program for domestic migrant worker employers. This includes increasing the number of respite service days, enhancing management support, and reducing administrative burdens, set to be implemented in the first half of this year.
Since Taiwan introduced its first batch of foreign migrant workers in 1989, the number of migrant workers in Taiwan has exceeded 800,000. Among them, industrial migrant workers are mostly employed by enterprises in production lines and construction sites, while social welfare migrant workers are mainly employed by families to fill the gap in domestic care personnel.
Unlike corporate employers who have human resources departments, family employers are more likely to encounter challenges in migrant worker management, recruitment, and administrative tasks. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are currently formulating a domestic migrant worker employer support program, moving in three directions: reducing manpower gaps, increasing management support, and reducing administrative burdens.
An official from the Ministry of Labor told the Central News Agency that international attention to migrant worker rights is growing, and the government also needs to protect the basic rights of migrant workers. In addition, in recent years, Japan and South Korea have been competing for workers, and migrant workers have become more aware of their rights due to the popularization of information and education. Although some families and migrant workers get along well, some families need more assistance due to anxiety.
The official from the Ministry of Labor stated that employment in families often involves care needs. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have initiated cross-ministerial cooperation, hoping to increase assistance measures for domestic migrant worker employers, not only to improve the quality of migrant workers' work but also to reduce tensions between some employers and migrant workers due to management issues.
Regarding reducing manpower gaps, the Ministry of Labor official explained that the usage of short-term care and respite services has been increasing year by year. Originally, the annual cap was set at 52 days, based on the scenario of migrant workers taking one day off per week. They are currently planning with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to increase this 52-day cap, especially for employers with severe care needs or when migrant workers are pregnant. Priority will be given to increasing their maximum number of usage days.
The official stated that they hope to further reduce the problems of care gaps encountered by family employers during the employment process through significant government investment in care resources.
Secondly, to increase management support, the official said that the Ministry of Labor had already compiled a "Domestic Migrant Worker Employer Assistance Handbook" early this year. This will subsequently be printed and placed at some Ministry of Labor locations for employers in need to collect. They will also increase the training capacity for migrant worker skills and consider incentives to encourage employers to allow migrant workers to participate in training.
In addition, the official also said that many family employers and migrant workers have disputes over management or sick leave rights, but these are mostly due to unfamiliarity with regulations or imprecise language communication between both parties. Currently, a "Domestic Migrant Worker Employer and Migrant Worker Labor Dispute Assistance Mechanism" is also being designed, which is a voluntary administrative assistance.
Officials stated that in the future, when domestic employers and migrant workers have disputes over management or employment rights, professionals who understand labor laws and foreign employment regulations can assist in handling them, hoping to accelerate the resolution of disputes and further reduce the possibility of employers experiencing manpower care gaps.
Regarding reducing administrative burdens, existing employment and control procedures will be reviewed one by one, especially the current notification requirements. They will evaluate simplifying some notification and administrative processing obligations for employers through system integration and data entry methods.
The official said that the domestic migrant worker employer support program is expected to be launched in the first half of this year, and subsequent evaluations of intermediary agencies will also be optimized to provide more information, enabling employers to better identify the professionalism of intermediaries.
The official emphasized that the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will work together to provide more resource assistance to family employers, especially those with severe care needs. This is also a way to alleviate tensions between employers and employees, benefiting both parties.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, as of the end of March this year, there were 870,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, including 220,000 social welfare migrant workers and 540,000 industrial migrant workers. (Edited by Chen Ching-Fang) 1150430
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(Central News Agency reporter Wu Hsin-Yun, Taipei, 30th) Taiwan has 220,000 domestic migrant workers. To provide more support to employers of domestic migrant workers, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have drafted a three-pronged support program for domestic migrant worker employers. This includes increasing the number of respite service days, enhancing management support, and reducing administrative burdens, set to be implemented in the first half of this year.
Since Taiwan introduced its first batch of foreign migrant workers in 1989, the number of migrant workers in Taiwan has exceeded 800,000. Among them, industrial migrant workers are mostly employed by enterprises in production lines and construction sites, while social welfare migrant workers are mainly employed by families to fill the gap in domestic care personnel.
Unlike corporate employers who have human resources departments, family employers are more likely to encounter challenges in migrant worker management, recruitment, and administrative tasks. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare are currently formulating a domestic migrant worker employer support program, moving in three directions: reducing manpower gaps, increasing management support, and reducing administrative burdens.
An official from the Ministry of Labor told the Central News Agency that international attention to migrant worker rights is growing, and the government also needs to protect the basic rights of migrant workers. In addition, in recent years, Japan and South Korea have been competing for workers, and migrant workers have become more aware of their rights due to the popularization of information and education. Although some families and migrant workers get along well, some families need more assistance due to anxiety.
The official from the Ministry of Labor stated that employment in families often involves care needs. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare have initiated cross-ministerial cooperation, hoping to increase assistance measures for domestic migrant worker employers, not only to improve the quality of migrant workers' work but also to reduce tensions between some employers and migrant workers due to management issues.
Regarding reducing manpower gaps, the Ministry of Labor official explained that the usage of short-term care and respite services has been increasing year by year. Originally, the annual cap was set at 52 days, based on the scenario of migrant workers taking one day off per week. They are currently planning with the Ministry of Health and Welfare to increase this 52-day cap, especially for employers with severe care needs or when migrant workers are pregnant. Priority will be given to increasing their maximum number of usage days.
The official stated that they hope to further reduce the problems of care gaps encountered by family employers during the employment process through significant government investment in care resources.
Secondly, to increase management support, the official said that the Ministry of Labor had already compiled a "Domestic Migrant Worker Employer Assistance Handbook" early this year. This will subsequently be printed and placed at some Ministry of Labor locations for employers in need to collect. They will also increase the training capacity for migrant worker skills and consider incentives to encourage employers to allow migrant workers to participate in training.
In addition, the official also said that many family employers and migrant workers have disputes over management or sick leave rights, but these are mostly due to unfamiliarity with regulations or imprecise language communication between both parties. Currently, a "Domestic Migrant Worker Employer and Migrant Worker Labor Dispute Assistance Mechanism" is also being designed, which is a voluntary administrative assistance.
Officials stated that in the future, when domestic employers and migrant workers have disputes over management or employment rights, professionals who understand labor laws and foreign employment regulations can assist in handling them, hoping to accelerate the resolution of disputes and further reduce the possibility of employers experiencing manpower care gaps.
Regarding reducing administrative burdens, existing employment and control procedures will be reviewed one by one, especially the current notification requirements. They will evaluate simplifying some notification and administrative processing obligations for employers through system integration and data entry methods.
The official said that the domestic migrant worker employer support program is expected to be launched in the first half of this year, and subsequent evaluations of intermediary agencies will also be optimized to provide more information, enabling employers to better identify the professionalism of intermediaries.
The official emphasized that the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare will work together to provide more resource assistance to family employers, especially those with severe care needs. This is also a way to alleviate tensions between employers and employees, benefiting both parties.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Labor, as of the end of March this year, there were 870,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, including 220,000 social welfare migrant workers and 540,000 industrial migrant workers. (Edited by Chen Ching-Fang) 1150430
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship of yours is a force protecting press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.