Competitive Compensation | ACER ESG
Competitive Compensation
Acer Salary Policy
Ensuring competitive compensation and attracting and retaining talented individuals are key priorities for the company's human resource policies. Acer conducts an annual survey of global industry market salaries to establish a fair and competitive compensation system. Additionally, each year, differentiated performance bonuses are awarded to employees based on the operational performance of each unit and the tangible contributions of employees. Using Taiwan as an example, apart from the monthly fixed salary and annual bonus, several employee incentive measures have been implemented. These include patent bonuses, sales bonuses, target bonuses, and employee dividends, etc., enabling employees to reap the rewards of their efforts. Simultaneously, starting in 2022, an employee stock ownership plan was established to encourage employees to save and accumulate retirement funds.
2023 Basic Salary and Remuneration (Female:Male)
| Management Staff | Technical Staff | Specialist Staff | Administrative Staff | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work Location | Basic Salary | Compensation | Basic Salary | Compensation | Basic Salary | Compensation | Basic Salary | Compensation |
| Taiwan | 0.91 | 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.80 | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.90 | 0.91 |
| EMEA | 0.90 | 0.82 | 0.95 | 0.93 | 0.93 | 0.83 | 1.07 | 1.04 |
| Pan Asia Pacific | 0.87 | 0.83 | 0.56 | 0.58 | 0.89 | 0.83 | 0.95 | 0.93 |
| Pan America | 0.80 | 0.76 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 0.87 | 0.81 | 1.03 | 1.00 |
Gender Pay Analysis : Acer proves each year through regression analysis that GRADE is the primary consideration in determining salary, and gender is absolutely not a factor.
Compensation Structures aligned with Long-term Performance
The CEO compensation is strongly aligned with long-term performance.
Our company has guidelines on deferred bonus, time vesting, and performance period for the CEO’s variable compensation.
For deferral of bonus for short-term CEO compensation, it is a portion of the CEO's short-term incentive deferred in the form of shares or stock options. For example, CEO in Acer is eligible for LTI and SAR program. The percentage of the short-term bonus deferred in the form of shares or stock options is 35.4%.
The LTI program applies to chief executive officer and mandates a lockup period of 4 years with a target number of shares. In addition, the SAR program applies to all Acer leaders at B Band and above and is implemented over a 3-year period. The individual stock total amount for each year needs to be calculated as one-third of the stock allocation quota.
We believe that extending the term of compensation contracts for the highest governing body and senior management can align the long-term interests of management and shareholders. As per the resolution of the 14th agenda of the fourth board meeting on November 3, 2021, regarding the long-term incentive plan for executives (including executives at the B01 level and above), the plan will last for three years, with the annual total amount of individual stocks calculated as one-third of the stock quota. It accounts for 11.2% of our workforce. This clearly demonstrates the commitment of senior management to the long-term performance of the company.
Below are typical examples of long-term incentives that include targets related to sustainability performance.
- The efficiency of the ESG Scorecard implementation.
- The sustainability performance of Eco-minded Vero Notebook, including product development, service, sales, and collaboration platform
- The number and completion rates of the sustainability-specific trainings
Maternity Benefits
When Acer staff are faced with the needs of parenthood, they can apply to take unpaid parental leave and, upon the completion of the leave period, return to their position. In this way, they are able to take care of their personal and familial needs. Since the 2022 law relaxed the application period of less than 6 months for baby-sitting, 40 percent of the employees (10) applied for less than 6 months in 2023.
Parental Leave Applications in 2023 (Acer Taiwan)
| Male | Female | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Employees Entitled to Parental Leave in 2022 | 65 | 107 | 172 |
| Number of Employees Who Took Parental Leave in 2022 | 19 | 6 | 25 |
| Applicants for Parental Leave (%) | 29.23% | 5.61% | 14.53% |
| Number of Employees Expected to Return to Work After Parental Leave in 2022 | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| Number of Employees Who Returned to Work After Parental Leave in 2022 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Post Parental Leave Return-to-Work Rate (%) | 80.00% | 200% | 70.59% |
| Number of Employees That Returned to Work After Parental Leave in 2022 | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Number of Employees Still Employeed in 2021 12 Months After Rerurn | 14 | 4 | 18 |
| Post Parental Leave Retention Rate (%) | 87.50% | 100% | 90.00% |
Employee Benefits
In addition to the benefits as stipulated by law, Acer also provides group life insurance, accident insurance, cancer insurance, hospital room and board insurance, and a range of outstanding employee benefits.
Practices superior to statutory standards
 | Self-managed work hoursRegular employees may adopt self-managed working hours as appropriate, provided that the quality of their services to customers is not affected. |
 | Sick leave with full payFull pay is given to those who do not exceed 15 days of sick leave in a year. |
 | Annual leave for new staffIf an employee has not completed his or her probationary period after three months of employment, his or her annual leave for the current year shall be granted in accordance with the law; and if the employee has completed his or her probationary period, he or she shall be granted seven days of annual leave until the date of completion of one year of employment. |
 | Advance special leaveIf an employee does not have any special leave in the current year, or if he/she has already taken all the special leave in the current year, he/she can advance the special leave in the next year, and the maximum number of days can be advanced to all the special leave days in the next year. |
 | Paid volunteer leaveStaff can apply for two days of paid volunteer leave per year, with the minimum leave unit being a half-day. |
Leisure leaveWe offer our colleagues an extra four days of paid leisure leave each year, exceeding the requirements of the Labor | |
 | Maternity BenefitsAcer offers employee maternity benefits, child scholarships and cooperative childcare facilities. When Acer staff are faced with the needs of parenthood, they can apply to take unpaid parental leave and, upon the completion of the leave period, return to their position. In this way, they are able to take care of their personal and familial needs. |
 | Employee Stock Ownership TrustStarting from 2022, Acer has established an Employee Stock Ownership Trust. Under the Employee Stock Ownership Trust, each employee can contribute funds from his or her salary to purchase Acer stock each month. For example, if an employee contributes NT$1, the Company will contribute NT$1, which is equivalent to a 50% company subsidy. Acer employees are entitled to annual dividends from the stock ownership trust while they are still employed, and their trust holdings are not disposed of until they retire. This helps employees save for retirement and retains talent. Acer expects employees to grow with the company. |
Employee Benefits offered by Taiwan Headquarters
- Recreation and Entertainment Benefits
- Fellowship Activities and Facilities
- Cash Benefits and Childcare Support Measures
Employee Welfare at Working Locations Worldwide
- Promoting Physical and Mental Health
- Providing Self-Development Courses
- Environmental Conservation
- Gender Equality Care
- Team Cohesion
Employee Support Program
 | Flexible working hoursIn Sweden, the start of working time is between 08:00 and 09:00 and the time of leaving the office can be between 16:30 and 18:00, depending on the individual's work or family needs; in Thailand, all full-time employees have flexible working hours.Employees can choose between two shifts: 08:30-7:30 or 09:00-18:00; in Australia, the government requires that employees with family care responsibilities, aged 55 years old or older, with disabilities, or experiencing domestic violence are eligible for flexible working hours; in Japan, employees can choose to start work between 6:00 am and 10:00 am; in Hong Kong, employees can choose to start work between 08:00 and 10:00 am; and can finish work between 17:00 and 19:00. |
 | Work from HomeThe company offers the Acer Baby - Employee Parenting Assistance and Workplace Adjustment Program to support employees with childcare needs during pregnancy and after giving birth. According to this program, one can apply to work from home one month before giving birth; within two years after childbirth, one can also apply to work remotely two days a week, reducing the commute between home and the office. After one year of implementing this program, employees who participated in it reported that the measure helped them reduce the daily commuting burden, alleviate the time pressure of caring for newborns, and enhance the quality of work, childcare, and family life. |
 | Part-time WorkAcer employees are allowed to work part-time, which can be flexibly adjusted by local offices depending on operational conditions. For example, at our European operations headquarters, employees are allowed to spend part of their working hours on campus to improve their academic or professional skills. In addition, we have also incorporated a campus internship system, which allows them to spend a few days on campus and a few days working in the company to enhance their workplace experience. |
 | Childcare FacilitiesThe Company often contracts with kindergartens near its offices so that employees' children can attend school close to the office. For example, at Acer's headquarters, we work with a kindergarten located in the Shih Chi building, allowing employees to work upstairs and children to attend school downstairs. In addition, children are eligible for tuition discounts and receive free school bags, stationery, indoor shoes, etc. This allows employees to take care of their work and children at the same time, and reduces their financial burden. |
 | Nursing FacilitiesNursing spaces are available in all Acer offices. For example, at Acer headquarters, we have four nursing rooms for employees. Each nursing room is equipped with a refrigerator for breastmilk, a bottle dryer and an electric breast pump for nursing mothers to use. For safety and security, all nursing rooms are equipped with an access control system and curtains in the rooms to maintain privacy. This nursing room has been awarded as an excellent nursing space by the New Taipei City Government. In addition, in California and Texas, local operating centers have set up government-regulated private spaces for breastfeeding mothers to use and provide the necessary equipment for electric breast pumps. |
 | Paid Parental/Paternal LeaveRegarding paid parental / paternal leave for primary caregivers (such as parents), at Acer headquarters, women are entitled to eight weeks of paid maternity leave, which is in line with the Labor Standards Act. However, regardless of their length of service at Acer, the company gives full salary to the employee, which exceeds the Labor Standards Act, which only gives 50% salary for employees with less than six months of service. |
 | Relative Care LeaveIn addition to parental leave, relative care leave is often implemented in local office districts. In France, to facilitate family care responsibilities, employees can apply for up to five days of family care leave in the event of a major or urgent family need (e.g., serious illness or death of a child, adopted child, parent, foster parent, grandparent, spouse/life partner, grandchild or sibling); in Australia, family care leave can be flexibly integrated into the workday. This flexible working arrangement can be requested if a relative or family member needs care or support due to domestic violence; in Singapore, employees have up to 6 days of care leave for their relatives. In addition to meeting the minimum requirements, our Pan American headquarters in San Jose, CA offers a paid family care leave policy that slightly exceeds the minimum statutory requirements. In California, state law requires that the Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) for Paid Family Leave (PFL) be approximately 60 to 70 percent of income (depending on income) for the 5 to 18 months prior to the date of the incident. However, at Acer, the weekly benefit payment is never less than 70% of weekly earnings, which exceeds the regulatory requirement. |
 | Employee Assistance Program (EAP)Taiwan offers the “Acer Family Care Line,” Employee Assistance Program, which is available to all employees and their dependents (including spouses and their direct relativess). Employees can choose to consult with counselors by phone, face-to-face, or video, and each consultation service is 60 minutes in length. Each employee is entitled to three free consultations per year. In 2022, the "Acer Family Care Line" employee assistance program served 605 colleagues and dependents by phone/e-mail and 77 colleagues and dependents through face-to-face professional counseling, helping them to have professional counselors when they encounter problems in life/emotional/spiritual/work. The employee care area in Acer Family app provides monthly care information such as anti-epileptic skits, workplace emotion management, and self-stress awareness, providing a support system to help employees and their dependents. |