On July 30, a former engineer who worked for four years at TSMC's Arizona fab posted a detailed complaint on Reddit, alleging chaotic training in Taiwan, oppressive work conditions in Arizona, and racial bias in hiring—sparking widespread discussion both online and within semiconductor circles.

The engineer described his experience: joining TSMC in 2021, he traveled to Tainan for training, where language barriers, poor lodging, restricted access, and reluctance from Taiwanese colleagues to assist expatriate staff created significant frustration. He claimed around 20% of the cohort resigned during this phase.

Upon arriving at the Arizona facility, he says many systemic issues persisted. Approximately 70% of the early hires had already left. Untrained staff were often asked to perform facility maintenance, with concerns about safety penalized in annual performance reviews.

He also accused internal hiring managers of favoring Taiwanese nationals and work visa holders, while explicitly instructing him not to hire Indian applicants—using derogatory language in the process. He called TSMC's workplace culture "toxic," citing 14–16 hour workdays, frequent "urgent" assignments useful only to force overtime, widespread gossip, and bullying—especially targeting women and employees with disabilities.

Despite the company's reputational strengths—high salaries and no-layoff policy—he argued these policies drove away strong performers, leaving behind less capable staff. He said that although TSMC does not formally lay off employees, "they will force you to quit." In his own case, he left to earn a 30% higher salary elsewhere.

He advised prospective applicants to consider TSMC's internship programs for resume building or short-term work—not committing long term without first understanding the environment. He welcomed questions from those still interested in joining.

Many Reddit users echoed similar grievances in replies: "I'd rather earn minimum wage as a janitor than work at TSMC as an engineer," and "I just left as a TSMC equipment engineer—I can tell you this is exactly their Taiwanese fab culture."

The post has reignited debate over cross-cultural management, workplace fairness, and discrimination at TSMC's U.S. operations, raising concerns about how Taiwanese management styles translate in overseas manufacturing environments.