Just what is "the HK work culture"?

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  1. #11

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    Ah good memory of Saturday morning on , nobody was doing anything except speaking about what they will do during the weekend . I'm glad my company don't make us work on Saturday anymore.


  2. #12

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    I think the answer depends very much of what type of company you work for. We set up our HK operation here last year, moved several people across together and employ few locals (our senior chinese staff are ex-mainland/taiwanese but US educated) and we have a 100% US culture. ie work hard, put the client first, get the work done and how you do it and where you do it is up to you. None of this appearance bullshit.

    Having said that, I left my first firm in the UK because of exactly this issue. I used to cox a rowing eight which went out at 6pm every weeknight and my office about 20 mins from the river so I left pretty much at 5:30pm every night. However, I lived about 3 minutes walk from the office, so I would come back in after the rowing (say, 8 or 9pm, when everyone else had gone home) and finish my work, or come in early (around 6am) to finish up. At my appraisal I was told it was "not the company culture to leave on time every night" with absolutely no mention of the fact that I got all the work done by coming back etc. I resigned in disgust - have never looked back.

    Moral of the story is - suss out the culture of the company you work for, find one you like and stick with it. You spend too much of your life at work to hate it.


  3. #13

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    half days on saturday was such a pain in the backside and waste of time, especially if your hungover from friday night. LOL

    The company i'm in now, we work 1 hour more Mon-Friday so that we dont have to come in on sat's.

    The boss is a local lad but studied in Aussie, so he doesnt care about working late or waiting for him to leave, most local staff leave when they finish their work. I leave on time regardless as I often work at home anyway due to head office is in New York so at night is when i'm most busy, I also come back to work later than him in the mornings. LOL

    Last edited by wtbhotia; 19-09-2008 at 11:50 AM.

  4. #14

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    Like Claire said, don't bother going in early, no one does and it won't mean you can leave early. Stay til the boss leaves even if you do nothing. I think this is exaggerated when you work for a local boss but even Western outfits operate like this.

    I've always wondered if it has something to do with living conditions here. Everyone lives in such small apartments who wants to rush home? Perhaps it explains why shops open at 10 and sometimes 11 and stay open til late.


  5. #15

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    get in around 10, lunch 12 to 2, leave around 5:30, no work Sats or Sun, so a proper weekend. That's about it really. What are you expecting?


  6. #16

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    i worked in an office here for 6 months... HATED IT!

    it used to drive me crazy. i ALWAYS showed up for work 5-10 minutes early, so that i'd be ready to start by 9am on the dot.

    i only ever took 45 minutes-1hour lunch. i never stopped working to have a chat at the "water fountain". i occasionally left on time. sometimes up to 1 hour "late".

    HOWEVER, it used to annoy the **** outta me that my co-workers:

    1) showed up as late as 11am!!!!
    2) took 1-2 hours lunch
    3) stayed until 8 or 9 pm

    AND THEN COMPLAINED about how late they had to work!!! after about 5.5 months of this, i finally said, 'well, if you showed up on time, maybe you wouldn't have to stay so late!'

    they were always shocked at how quickly i finished my work. i NEVER tried to "look" busy. i WAS busy. but i was able to finish my work on time as i didn't waste my time like they did. it seemed to me, they only wanted the "face" that they thought they gained by appearing to work so very hard. at one point the boss called at 11am and asked for my co-worker, i told him i had no idea where she was as she hadn't been in yet that day... he was american and said, 'don't worry about it, honey, i know what goes on. make sure you get home in time for an early dinner!'


  7. #17

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    I wouldn't have lasted 6 weeks let alone six months!


  8. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by MovingIn07:
    I wouldn't have lasted 6 weeks let alone six months!
    I've been in an office for over a year now and am sure that I would not have lasted if I had tried to fit in with the local 'work culture'. From week one I made a point of leaving on time etc.

    I rarely look busy, always finish what I need to and probably spend too much time posting on here

  9. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by gunsnroses:
    Don't agree! I am an Indian and I prefer the work getting done over sitting in office for later hours and wasting resources. I am out of the office by 6.15 pm.
    me too! as in, I am an Indian too, and I leave by 6:15 pm

    are we, by any chance, working in the same company ?

    no, but seriously, "Indian firms" in HK "generally" work 5.5 days, expect their staff to stay late, and leave only after their bosses leave.

    This is a leftover from the old world industries in India. Having worked in India before, I have seen the same thing there too, at my former company, my poor colleague would be forced to stay back till 11:30pm 6 days a week because his boss forced him to and always told him "there is so much to learn in the factory"...just because that boss didn't have a life, he assumed neither did anybody else

  10. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by pushan:
    because his boss forced him to and always told him "there is so much to learn in the factory"...just because that boss didn't have a life, he assumed neither did anybody else
    There is only one thing to learn in this situation, and that's how to say "bye - see you in the morning".....
    Last edited by MovingIn07; 19-09-2008 at 01:16 PM. Reason: typo