August 09, 2024 – Reports indicate that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) may postpone the production launch at its wafer fab in Arizona, USA, from the originally scheduled 2024 to 2025. The primary reasons for this delay are attributed to cultural conflicts in the workplace and difficulties in attracting top talent due to wage issues.
Known for its stringent working conditions in Taiwan, including long working hours and an on-call emergency work culture, TSMC has encountered significant cultural clashes in the United States. American employees have expressed dissatisfaction with tasks beyond their job descriptions and challenging working conditions, leading to labor turnover. Consequently, TSMC has had to rely on bringing in employees from Taiwan to fill these vacancies.
Furthermore, TSMC’s compensation levels in the US have proven inadequate to lure the top 1% of talent, especially when competing with other renowned startups, hedge funds, and investment banks. Despite investing 65billionandreceivinga6.6 billion subsidy from the US government, attracting and retaining talent remains a critical challenge for TSMC’s successful operations in America.
To address these issues, TSMC has begun adapting its work culture in the US by reducing meetings, decreasing workloads, and providing communication training to improve relationships between management and American employees. Simultaneously, TSMC is seeking partnerships with American universities to cultivate and attract new talent.
