Hsinchu:Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has announced that it will award a special Sports Day bonus of NT$30,000 (US$923) to each of its non-managerial employees, despite the cancellation of the event due to Typhoon Champi.
According to Focus Taiwan, TSMC Chairman and CEO C.C. Wei informed employees via an internal email that the company has decided to issue the bonus for 2026, even though the event originally planned for Saturday could not proceed. The bonus amount is NT$5,000 higher than the previous year.
The distribution of the bonus is scheduled for November and will be given to employees who were part of TSMC's workforce as of May 31, 2026. The decision to cancel the event was influenced by the suspension of work by Hsinchu city and county governments due to the typhoon, as well as the company's consideration for employee safety.
Wei expressed regret over the cancellation but lauded the team spirit and cohesion shown by employees during the preparatory phase, recognizing these efforts as a significant gain for the company. The annual Sports Day, initiated in 1993, is eagerly anticipated by employees for the substantial bonus associated with it.
The event faced cancellations from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which TSMC provided bonuses of NT$12,000 in 2020 and NT$16,000 in the subsequent two years. In 2025, TSMC expanded the NT$25,000 special bonus to include overseas employees, resulting in a total distribution of approximately NT$1.875 billion.
TSMC has not yet disclosed whether the current year's bonus will extend to overseas employees as well. Morris Chang, TSMC's founder, had planned to attend the event and has previously highlighted Sports Day as a highlight for the company, showcasing the enthusiasm and teamwork of its employees.
The company has been benefiting from its advanced position in chip development, reporting a net profit of NT$2.42 trillion for the first nine months of this year, a 68.5 percent increase from the previous year amid the AI boom. TSMC's sales forecast for 2026 projects a 44 percent increase in U.S. dollar terms, up from an earlier estimate of slightly over 40 percent growth.
