What's wrong with the work mentality here?

[SGBoyxxx]

Sgporean here ...

I actually agree that the work attitude here is really crappy. Too many lines to report ... The "seen after 7pm" bullshit and honestly, 70% of workers work because they need to do so, not because they enjoy it. Which leds to hyper slacking + boss dodging situations. Not an excuse by the way.

But, every culture got its 'weird' practices. I've work with a UK dude and simply saying, there is abit too much 'I like to give you freedom to be creative' BUT 'I don't think you can be creative so I'll control you'.

Total clash of ideas for him. Of course does not represent the UK population.

Yup agreed with you.Most singaporeans here "actually" don;t really enjoy your work.Just morning come in work like a robot and time go back will pack up and go off.

All just work for the seek of the money.No choice since we mtly pay for our hdb flats , daily expense , parents / family /kids

[sundaymorningstaple]

SGBoy, Sadly, you are spot on for the most part on the people just being drones with their jobs.

Now. I have a question. Why do you do it? Why don't you find a job that gives you enjoyment? What's stopping you? Some do, but defo they are a miniscule minority here. My wife did. She wanted to be a singer. So she quit her job and became a singer. Did it for 20 years until our second child was born then it got a bit much so retired from the nightly circuit here. Still sings for special functions & weddings even today.

I did it some 32 years ago. It's actually how I came to be in Singapore in the first place. I quit a damn good tax accounting job in Washington DC to become a commercial diver in the oilfields around the world. I got paid to do what I used to pay others to let me do. "For almost 20 years I did not get up to go to work, I got up to go diving!"

If you don't do it now, when will you do it? Or are you going to wait till you are too old and then spend the rest of you life saying "I wish I'd done that when I was younger and could!" If I die tomorrow, I'll have no regrets on the work front.

[dazzlebabe]

I certainly hope the ones seconded here like their jobs! I do...

[SGBoyxxx]

SGBoy, Sadly, you are spot on for the most part on the people just being drones with their jobs.

Now. I have a question. Why do you do it? Why don't you find a job that gives you enjoyment? What's stopping you? Some do, but defo they are a miniscule minority here. My wife did. She wanted to be a singer. So she quit her job and became a singer. Did it for 20 years until our second child was born then it got a bit much so retired from the nightly circuit here. Still sings for special functions & weddings even today.

I did it some 32 years ago. It's actually how I came to be in Singapore in the first place. I quit a damn good tax accounting job in Washington DC to become a commercial diver in the oilfields around the world. I got paid to do what I used to pay others to let me do. "For almost 20 years I did not get up to go to work, I got up to go diving!"

If you don't do it now, when will you do it? Or are you going to wait till you are too old and then spend the rest of you life saying "I wish I'd done that when I was younger and could!" If I die tomorrow, I'll have no regrets on the work front.

Agreed! But sadly this is the mindset of most singaporean here.
Since you stayed in singapore for quite sometime I believe you can see that for yourself.

Is due to our society here sadly.Next Asian maybe abit conservation in terms of working.

[nakatago]

Could it be an Asian thing?

People would exclaim how one is so hardworking and diligent because of overtime. I used to work in a Japanese environment. It's a project-based IT development and we punched the clock.

Now I work in a French environment (still IT dev, though)--you don't have to complete your hours but make sure you do your job in time (and also be there when we need you, during reasonable times of the day, of course). Heck, the French here sometimes take two hours to eat lunch but sometimes they'd also do working lunches. Sometimes they leave early, sometimes they do all-nighters.

[irvine]

I would love to ask some people in my org:

"Are you working hard? Or hardly working?"

To some I suppose working long hours is for show to the boss, because the boss stays late. I could clearly see that the boss stays late bcoz s/he is bugged with meetings with the top all day, and only have time to do his/her own work when the day slows down, hence the staying late, esp bcoz s/he doesn't want to bring work home to do.

I don't understand why the staff need to stay back to 'accompany' the boss.

Oh, one thing I learnt, is to turn off my phone from 7pm-11pm every weekday evening. LOL!

[dazzlebabe]

Oh, one thing I learnt, is to turn off my phone from 7pm-11pm every weekday evening. LOL!

So what business happens after 11pm that the phone needs to be turned back on?

[nakatago]

So what business happens after 11pm that the phone needs to be turned back on?

monkey

[XsenseX]

Thats the culture that singapore has not adopted.

Treating the work as you own.

It means that there are situations where if you finish ya stuff, you could always leave early. BUT when there is a crucial situation, you will stay back willingly without any issues at all.

Its like your own business, no businessman will have a 9-6 job, if the company has issues, he will be there at 1am to settle it. And 80% of singaporeans will not and might never ever treat their work as their own.

And thats where the crap working culture begins.

[Strong Eagle]

Thats the culture that singapore has not adopted.

Treating the work as you own. And 80% of singaporeans will not and might never ever treat their work as their own.

And thats where the crap working culture begins.

I have a hard time agreeing with this, at least for Singaporeans working in multi nationals. I've met many Singaporeans who have taken on the MNC culture... they take responsibility for their work assignment.

Oh... I've run into some "that's not my job" but it sure hasn't been limited to Singaporeans... a universal trait of people who won't accept responsibility.

[nakatago]

Thats the culture that singapore has not adopted.

Treating the work as you own. And 80% of singaporeans will not and might never ever treat their work as their own.

And thats where the crap working culture begins.

I have a hard time agreeing with this, at least for Singaporeans working in multi nationals. I've met many Singaporeans who have taken on the MNC culture... they take responsibility for their work assignment.

Oh... I've run into some "that's not my job" but it sure hasn't been limited to Singaporeans... a universal trait of people who won't accept responsibility.

True, true...

...but as SGBoyxxx mentioned--somewhere, some are bo chap ("don't know; don't care") and that sure does hurt their case.

[Vaucluse]

Thats the culture that singapore has not adopted.

Treating the work as you own.

It means that there are situations where if you finish ya stuff, you could always leave early. BUT when there is a crucial situation, you will stay back willingly without any issues at all.

Its like your own business, no businessman will have a 9-6 job, if the company has issues, he will be there at 1am to settle it. And 80% of singaporeans will not and might never ever treat their work as their own.

And thats where the crap working culture begins.

You're kidding, right? This your 'experience'? 80%?

What a load of sanctimonious, backslapping codswollop.


Would you like 1001 examples of what utter tripe that is or would you prefer to just drop it?

[irvine]

daz... oh c'mon! I actually use my phone as an alarm clock for the morning, and somehow if it remains off, it only rings one time for the alarm, that just can't wake me up . I know, I should get a proper alarm clock.

11pm is about the time when I usually go to bed. Well, and also about the time nobody should be calling anymore. My boss sometimes work till 10+pm and she has a habit to call the mobile for anything urgent (not necessarily important). I used to pick up her calls in the evenigns, and ever since I turned it off, she resorted to email. And that's what I want. We're not running a manufacturing 24hrs operation, but a knowledge base type of work.

I.e. after work hours = after work hours.