Archive · 20 Jun 2025
Taiwanese Clerk Exploits Law to Gain 32 Days Paid Leave
Imagine a man who got married to the same woman four times in a little over a month.
He did this to get extra paid time off work because of a rule in Taiwan.
Each time he got married, he was allowed to take eight days off.
Even though the bank thought he was using the rule unfairly, the law said he was allowed to do it.
The government agreed with him, leading to a debate about whether what he did was right, even though it was technically legal.
A Taiwanese bank clerk married and divorced his wife four times in 37 days.
The clerk exploited a loophole in labor law to claim 32 days of paid leave.
The bank initially refused subsequent leave requests due to suspicion.
The Taipei City Labour Bureau ruled in favor of the clerk, fining the bank.
The case sparked debate about the intersection of law and ethics.
- Who
- A bank clerk and his wife.
- What
- A bank clerk repeatedly married and divorced his wife to exploit labor laws.
- When
- The events took place in April 2020, with rulings in October 2020 and April 2021.
- Where
- Taiwan
- Why
- To claim additional paid leave by exploiting a loophole in Taiwan's labor laws.
Clerk's Actions Were Legal
Clerk's Actions Were Unethical
Legality vs. Morality
Clerk's Actions Were Legal
The clerk was entitled to the leave based on the law.
Clerk's Actions Were Unethical
The clerk was acting unethically and should not have been granted the leave.
- Location
- Taiwan
- Number of Marriages
- 4
- Number of Divorces
- 3
- Duration
- 37 days
- Paid Leave Claimed
- 32 days
- Bank's Initial Response
- Refused subsequent leave
- Labour Bureau Ruling
- In favor of clerk