Before Typhoon Gaemi made landfall, county and municipal governments made the decision to halt work and classes as they watched the rain and wind conditions evolve.
However, the nation continues to have an unsavory issue. Typhoon days seem to be specifically intended for those working in white-collar professions. For those in the service industry or with manual labor jobs, typhoon days seem like a fantasy.
As a result, we often see that everyone in urban areas takes off coveted typhoon days. They go out to restaurants, boutiques and shopping malls, or go to movie theaters to catch a film.
Of course, some people are also holed up at home and have no desire to brave the wind and rain for any of this.
Central and local governments declare class and work cancelation standards for so-called typhoon days. These standards are mostly related to considerations of risk to life and property.
When classes and work are canceled, there is the implicit expectation that everyone ought to stay inside so rates of injury or worse are kept at a minimum.
However, reality is nothing like this. Many nine-to-fivers still risk heading out into the winds and rain for work. This is because some companies might use typhoon days as an excuse to sell stuff.
This is not a great development. It differs little from devaluing everyone’s personal safety or placing it on a lower priority than the commodities being sold.
When governments have called for a temporary halt to work and classes, companies — regardless of whether they are service or labor sectors — ought to use the same standard for a full halt to operations. They do not need to put their workers in harm’s way by making them travel far to get to work, much less risk the winds and rain in the first place.
A comprehensive typhoon response standard ought to prioritize selling food that could be enjoyed at home and outright avoiding opening in-store dining and service. Many more people could enjoy a well-deserved day off and the right to avoid being maimed or worse.
Chen Chi-nung is an educator from Nantou County.
Translated by Tim Smith
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