The standard work week when President Chen took office was 48 hours. After the new government proposed to shorten this to 44 hours, the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan one-upped the administration by passing legislation that further reduced standard working time to 84 hours over two weeks. This measure saddled businesses with an extra burden, and manufacturing operations began migrating offshore at an accelerated rate, thus contributing to increased unemployment.
例如，勞工工時由每週四十八小時驟降為平均四十二小時，為處於轉型的企業增添痛苦，助長廠商外移、失業率高升，在立法院居多數的國民黨難辭其咎。