Working Hours

[9 to 5?]

In the office Friday night 19.45  and there are still loads of people here.   Guess here there is not the Friday evening drinking culture that there is in the UK - but people don't seem to be any hurry to leave.....

Is this just the banking environment -or do people push long hours in other industries as well ?

[Old Mike]

There is a culture of spending long hours at work.

welcome to Singapore!

[Mr. Drunk]

'cause, beside :money" and similar, they have a reason, don't they?  

Beer after work, next to friends...
In England pubs are full in the evening... However, the beer is not the best there.

[Face time]

Long hours but not working hours.  Face time,  Putting in appearances.  Most companies here have a culture of spending long hours in the office but the productivity is very low.

Walk around and check out how many of them are actually surfing the web or emailing their mates.

I've never seen such poor productivity anywhere else I've worked.  Yet here the people who work efficiently and go home are perceived as the slackers - not the people who take 12 hours to do 4 hours work.  Go figure.

[Mr. Drunk]

Right!
This kind of... hmm.. 'culture', is common for most of Asia (no offence!).

[abc]

Chair time - in all industries and universities.
Incl. "working" on Saturday.
Since some employees know they are underutilized, they at least try to "get red points" by serving chair time, even if no work at all is done. Helps with office politics, too.
There is a very strong "boss in office" rule - you need ot come to work before your boss and leave after him. He cares about his superior, etc.
Some people share that had they not been obliged to do this, they'd done their ordinary work for 4-5 hours a day.

Welcome to Singapore.

[marriedguy]

Banking industry here is notorious for long working hours.

[strange]

and every other industry and job in singapore is notorious for long hours.

note: long hours have nothing to do with work.

as some famous guy said:
"its not how long you work, or how hard you work that matters...its how samrt you work"

guess that does not matter in asia

singapore: asian values, western dreams (some book again)

[in the west]

In ulu industrial places like Tuas and Jurong, where there is no good public transport, everyone comes and goes by company bus (usually to the nearest MRT station).

You should see the vacuum at 4:45 when everyone leaves to catch the company bus.  Productivity and normal working hours can be found, so it's not universal.
Given no choice, they can be efficient in an 8 hour day.  When public transport exists, it's turn up at 9, eat breakfast, take a 1.5 hour lunch, work til 7, go to dinner, come back and work til 9.  I use the term work loosely.

[Mr. Drunk]

I know small companies around the world having a different view on working hour. The employee should do his job at best quality, within reasonable time schedule.
Also the guy is getting paid by task (the delivered quality of product is important too). If needed he can stay extra hours; on the other hand, if the job is done OK and verified, he can go for a beer   or solve a personal problem.
That's smart!

[Singapore Bound]

Points well taken on how in some offices, the need to show face and stay late are the norm.  I would like to know though if the same behavior is adhered to or perpetuated by middle to upper level expat managers.  

Will likely be working for an expat boss and would like to know what type of hours others who have expat bosses adhere to.  

[Mr. Drunk]

(old) news:
EU countries - averange time spent at job per week: 39
HK - a.t.s.a.j.p.w: 48

[another expat]

To Singapore Bound, this expat  works long hours when there is a business need and knocks off for home, sport or a movie on the relatively rare occasions when business is quieter. I work from home sometimes (need piece and quiet for difficult work, been doing late night or early morning conference calls). If I've been on the phone to the US past midnight, I sleep later and go in later. My staff (local & expat) do the same within reason, although they are experienced professionals and not junior staff starting out who may feel they have to spend hours at their desks to impress the boss. I don't expect them to stay as late as me unless we are all working to a very tight deadline. They are often at work before me. In the end, if they deliver and the work gets done well, I'm not interested in what time they arrived and left. Perhaps this is not typical in some companies - you need to get feedback from those you will be working with.

[Mr. Drunk]

"In the end, if they deliver and the work gets done well, I'm not interested in what time they arrived and left."
That's the way! - and I'm sure you get some performances there, don't you?
That's modern managing - what about big co.s that have lot of old managers (and hilariously stupid too)?...

[Old Mike]

I work for an expat boss.
I average about 10 hours a day.
he works longer and weekends.