What is different when working in Singapore?

[Plains Drifter]

Isn't the point about how Singers do not have imagination typical of all Oriental cultures.  Based upon my experience working along side of them, in both an academic as well as professional setting, they always react as though whatever is in written, printed text is gospel and cannot be questioned.  Conversely, if there is anything that is tribal knowledge and has no or little formal text, they do not trust it at all.  It sometimes makes me wonder how they get anything done, but then it also makes for a fairly safe society by comparison to the west.

[to OP]

Sure Clint, all true, but it's just really interesting to read why exactly. Hence my suggestion to read this book. Or anyo other one on the matter. Anyone who works here and doesn't know the 'Asian way' very well should read up.
I know a family who've lived and worked here more than 8 years and still complain lots about the way people do business here and the lack of creativity blah blah blah. Spend one weekend reading up and your life will be a whole lot easier.

[Ya Basta]

To "To OP"

I gree with Clint, Singapore is hardly an example of where "Asian Values" domiante the business climate.

For a better example, look to the ex-USSR. This is a tightly controlled socialist state, albeit one that is "open" to global markets.

[Mum12]

Singapore is hardly that different to the UK. I had my subordinates regularly calling in sick ( and getting medical certs in justification) even when I knew there was nothing wrong with them. One senior colleague was on full pay for 2 years ( as he provided a cert saying he had a heart condition) and didnt come into work for a day in the 2 years.

Im not sure about other countries but in the UK, the work culture was pretty pathetic!

[interesting....]

OP:

Take a look at the book called "The asian mind games"

everything you need to know right there, written for westerners.

[Employee2]

To those moron managers out there:
The reason ppl bring in notes from Mommy is that a sick leave cannot be granted unless the person has proof that he was sick. Hence the doc's letter.

So instead of laughing at the schoolboy antics of getting notes from the doctor, maybe u should laugh at the fools who made up that silly rule.

Now who makes the corporate rules? an Employee or a manager(hr) ?

As for that other gem that expats take less sick leave than locals, that was a real fantastic observation.
But maybe u missed out how many days of regular leaves does the expat have compared to the local and do they get paid tickets back to their home country etc, so that they can afford to take a few days off without pay to deal with personal matters outside work.

To the lowly local as well as expats who don't get the above, sick leave is a good excuse to bunk from work for a day without having to lose pay.

I don't have sick leave in my contract.........if i did, i would never ever go to office on days that i am having the flu or a bad cold. However i value my vacation leave too highly to lose to sickness, so i go to office whether i'm well or not and generally don't do much work.

Unproductive? definitely!!!, but thats the risk the morons who devised this policy have to bear

[I Quit]

To Employee 2

I agree that this is all the fault of the people who made the sick leave rule.

For your information though, a large amount of expats here are on local terms (ie same amount of holidays, sick leave, no flights home, etc as their local colleagues) but the expats are still expected to work much harder than their local colleagues.  I'm not talking about actual hours spend in the office, I'm talking about actual productive work being done.

Sick leave should be for when you are too sick to come to the office, not when you have to go and queue for the new designer handbag which has just arrived in Singapore.  Yes, maybe leave entitlement should be increased and sick leave decreased - something certainly needs to be changed.

[Manager 2]

To Employee 2:

Any company that makes you take vacation when you are genuinely sick really sucks - that is a completely ridiculous policy.

In my company we all have exactly the same rules and payscale whether expat or local - there are no packages flights home, extra leaves or whatever.

and yet still the expats take far less sick leave.

Agree with the person commenting on the UK though - some right slack behaviour there too. I reckon most of the sick leave when I worked there was for hangovers...

But back to the OP's question on what is different here. I recommend to newbies to read Lee Kuan Yew's autobiography (there is a mercifully abridged version). It really helps you see how Singapore has grown as a nation and why it has grown the way it has.

[Manager]

"To those moron managers out there:
The reason ppl bring in notes from Mommy is that a sick leave cannot be granted unless the person has proof that he was sick. Hence the doc's letter."

I am sorry to offend. I am not blaming the employee.  I think the rule is stupid, too.  But I also know why the rule exists?  Any guesses?

I think I might recognize your post as someone who has posted before.  Yes there are companies that have practices that are much worse than others.  Companies will get away with what they can.  Better comapnies that want better talent will have better deals.  Supply and demand is at work here.  We provide a pretty darn good package to our local people.  It is in no way comparable to expats but we have no expats doing the same or similar work as locals.  recipe for disaster.  Expats in specific roles where we need them.

[beppi]

Pretty strange discussion here.

I have met many creative locals who take intitiative (and others as well, of course). There is as much or as little lack of it here than in Europe, where I am from.
They just do it differently from Western ways and it did take me a few years to recognize, during which time I also sometimes thought there is none. But that was obviously my problem and not theirs.

Written rules are not observed more or less here than in the West (as you will surely notice on a daily basis). The difference is that Westerners boast of breaking them, Asians do it quietly.

And rules (including the one about doctor's certs) are often meant as warnings here, not law.
Do any of you actually know somebody who was fined the infamous S$1000 for throwing rubbish on the floor? I don't.

I was never asked for a cert when I took sick leave, because my (Asian) boss trusted me. Others were asked. That is another difference: Relationships do count more here than in the West!

Different places have different ways. Try to understand before you judge!
It might take time (years!) and be frustrating occasionally, but your sanity will thank you afterwards.

Greetings,
   Frank

[This message has been edited by beppi (edited 06-10-2006).]

[Enlightenment]

Kind of agree with what Managers are saying. And to Employee: I don't think the managers are saying it's ridiculous for people to give doctors' note for sick leave - the ridiculous thing is that how the staff here always find a way to utilize full maximum sick leave year in year out. I witnessed it myself with bewilderment when one of the colleague said to me how much sick leave I have left and I said, thank god I haven't used any, and she was like, wide eyed, and said - you should use that.... otherwise what for having a sick leave!
That's the attitude that is wrong and ridiculous. I agree if somebody sick then he/she better stays home. In my office almost everybody (including secretaries and customer service girls) is given a laptop, and everybody got internet allowance. So working at home when they're recovering from sickness is common.

And yes, I have to agree that the creativity bit is lacking, especially on the low to mid-level employees. There are many creative Singapore employees and they do make it higher. But most who don't have an attitude like 'well, the rule book says so so we have to keep doing it'. No initiative to improve situation or to improvise when the going gets tough, instead, they would try to cover ass by saying everything is done by the book.

Another trait that I find sometimes annoying is that they tend to 'hide' behind emails, while a phone call will do things pronto. Imagine that for something urgent they said 'oh, I have sent email and I haven't got the answer back' while she actually has the mobile phone of the person in question and he wouldn't mind at all of a phone call - he hasn't seen the email since he's out doing his job!

[ashley]

to the manager:

very astute observations! i think u will survive spore and beat them with yr great insights.

[IntoxInc]

The shock for me was; when a colleague said, "I will be on MC next week".

How do you predict that you'll be sick next week???  My guess is, when you book your hotel stay in bintan/tioman... thats how you predict your MC.

[surgeon]

Is he scheduled for a major surgery ?
-------
The shock for me was; when a colleague said, "I will be on MC next week".

How do you predict that you'll be sick next week??? My guess is, when you book your hotel stay in bintan/tioman... thats how you predict your MC.