Why We Need to Go To Work On Saturday? Especially While Labor Law States You Needn't?

[squirrel]

China's new legistration regarding 5 working day weekly has been implemented for some years. Those who require employees to work have to compensate substantially. One thing though, this isn't really applied on Hong Kong employers here. As I know Hong Kong never implements such labor rights. For them a normal week consists of 6 working days. For some reason they can ignore the labor laws here and no one dare to say a word on it. But damn, I come back on Saturday and there is not much work for me. Street smart bosses don't come back. Or if a few come back they dont work. They are too busy to discuss where they are gonna having their luxurious lunches, what makeup they should gonna put on, and so on. I just come back and surf on web, wait till noon to call it a day, and go home.

I start to wonder if I should bring a gaming laptop on Saturday, game like hell and therefore drain their electricity like hell. Usual operating expense on Saturday, huh.

How many working days are there in the west for a typical week?

[Adam]

The vast majority of people in mainland China works 7 day weeks with only 1 day per month as a holiday or sick leave. The wages are shit too.

[squirrel]

You do know that 5 working day a week is a legislation, not just same hypocritical slogan?

If you are referring to factory workers working that long hours like those enslaved industrial workers in the Industrial Revolution, you can be ensured that this is something you cannot witness as a legit phenomenon. Factory workers don't have to work that long, or if they do their OT pay will be very handsome, so handsome that they ask for more OT. The concern by people around the world for long working hours in China is raised by reports that there is such, usually illegal. Whenever there are thieves there will be cops. Those issues exist and they are not to be tolerated. Just let the labor department deals with that.

And you know who would address the "social problems" of China? Ethnic Chinese who abandon their motherland, yet claim that they still care about this land they left, and try dig out some issues to prove their love for China. So, thanks for the concern. China is and will always be great.

BTW, as far as I am aware of there is only ONE China exists on this planet. Where the hell does the phase "mainland China" come from?

[Shane]

Well, my country has always had a six day work week, and for schools. At least it's five for college. But then again, mine is a poverty-ridden, third world country.

[Feldspar]

My working week is 38 hours, usually this equates to 8 hours Monday-Thursday and 6 on a Friday (my breaks are included in this), but due to being in a small team I sometimes have to be a bit flexible. Anything over this is classed and paid as overtime. Fortunately my role is not normally required on a weekend unless we're doing some sort of special project or have cocked up bigtime somewhere.

I count myself very lucky.

[soldant]

12 hours minimum but might go up to 14 if you're unlucky. 48 per week minimum, plus mandatory on-call or overtime. Mandatory night shifts. 6 weeks holiday per year, but you'll be told when you get to take it. Public holidays and weekends don't exist. Pay is crap. Sleep does not exist. You might not get a break during those 12 hours.

But then you get three days off, usually while everyone else is stuck at work.
Paramedic has to rank as one of the best jobs in the world.


To be honest "how many working days in a week" depends largely on what you do for a job. For most jobs here in Australia it's Monday to Friday, 8 hours a day. Retail is mostly casual. The most screwed up rostering system has to be nursing - in an emergency department I worked 5 days straight of 12hr nights, got one day off, then got 4 night shifts of 12 hours. Then 2 days off and another 4 on. Even in medical wards sometimes you'll work 7 days straight with absurd shifts (like having an AM shift, then a PM, then an AM which is a break of 8 hours).

[squirrel]

12 hours minimum but might go up to 14 if you're unlucky. 48 per week minimum, plus mandatory on-call or overtime. Mandatory night shifts. 6 weeks holiday per year, but you'll be told when you get to take it. Public holidays and weekends don't exist. Pay is crap. Sleep does not exist. You might not get a break during those 12 hours.

But then you get three days off, usually while everyone else is stuck at work.
Paramedic has to rank as one of the best jobs in the world.

Paramedic is a very meaningful job, so I guess you would be very motivated to put in hard effort in your career.

To me, I would be very eager to work as much as I could given I see a bright prospect. But in a jerky work environments, you are dealing with jerky bosses, jerky coworkers, even cleaners try to sniff around to see if they can dig up something from you they can sell to your bosses in return for some favor. For all your good work, you know for sure anyone but yourself will claim credit. Yet you still have to work hard, because if you dont, they will fire you and screw with your job reference so that you will not be able to find another better job. That's just so demoralizing. I understand why people will still work hard, for survival. But looking forward to? That's a joke.

[Lukasz]

12 hours minimum but might go up to 14 if you're unlucky. 48 per week minimum, plus mandatory on-call or overtime. Mandatory night shifts. 6 weeks holiday per year, but you'll be told when you get to take it. Public holidays and weekends don't exist. Pay is crap. Sleep does not exist. You might not get a break during those 12 hours.

But then you get three days off, usually while everyone else is stuck at work.
Paramedic has to rank as one of the best jobs in the world.


To be honest "how many working days in a week" depends largely on what you do for a job. For most jobs here in Australia it's Monday to Friday, 8 hours a day. Retail is mostly casual. The most screwed up rostering system has to be nursing - in an emergency department I worked 5 days straight of 12hr nights, got one day off, then got 4 night shifts of 12 hours. Then 2 days off and another 4 on. Even in medical wards sometimes you'll work 7 days straight with absurd shifts (like having an AM shift, then a PM, then an AM which is a break of 8 hours).

I believe the issue of work hours in medical fields is world wide. My sister is a doctor and she also gets some very weird hours. Not to mention she gets phone calls from patients and less experience colleagues when off-duty. Heard some of those calls... can get quite gruesome (like a description of a gentlemen who just happened to fell from stairs when being questioned by police)
If I may ask: your pay is shit compared to what they demand of you or is is shit compared to people doing more regular job such as office clerks?

As a waiter i do 38h workweek. This includes Saturdays and Sundays, anytime of day or night (it's 24h restaurant) Yet I can be called to work anytime (can refuse anytime tough. They do not force us.)
Double pay when you get called to work tough so silly to refuse if you have nothing to do. You are also eligible to 1.5 times of your hourly pay for working weekends.
I am quite happy about working on Saturdays and Sundays.

[NathanH]

I'm unemployed until April, but when I do work it's a notional 37.5 hour week but nobody is watching and counting, as long as the work gets done nobody cares. Maths research is an odd job because most of the time is spent not doing anything obviously constructive, just thinking lightly until some inspiration hits, then thinking extremely hard until your head hurts too much to continue.

The flexibility is generally nice, but leads to some odd situations. There are always people doing the job who are into it to the extent that they'll happily work far more than they're getting paid for, which is hard to keep up with if you're just doing the job to get paid like me. This also means they can pay you less that you're worth. Another strange thing is that I've no job since August and won't have a new one till April, but I'm still doing work sometimes, because that's just what you do to keep employable.

[Koobazaur]

Indie film scene is pretty hectic, with 12hr days being pretty much standard, and I've been on some shoots going into 14-16hrs on an odd occasion. Half of it is unpaid too because we all just "want to get our foot in the door™" and the producers milk it.

But then for each such week-long gig, you get like another week of sitting on your butt at home sending resumes on craiglist and mandy or hoping one of the people you slaved away for calls you back

[Adam]

As far as I am aware of there is only one China exists on this planet. Where the hell does the phase "mainland China" come from?

Mainland China refers to the People's Republic of China excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

Going back on topic, I don't know what you are trying to say? Most people in China doesn't have the luxury of having "handsomely paid overtime" or "five day working weeks". Despite what the law says, China is a heavily corrupt land bundled with complex social problems. You first need Guanxi (special relations), then you can have "handsomely paid overtime" and "five day working weeks". China is great, but the CCP has put a dark cover over the entire country. Actually, it has been bad for many people for thousands of years.

Many Chinese "buys" jobs. Did you know that? I'm not talking about 200 Yuan here, I am talking about anything up to 100,000 Yuan (for common folk). You think the police or those cretins who works for the labour department can solve these problems? Seriously, you really think they give a shit? China is in a mess because of the "being rich is glorious" mentality.

Seriously, get out of your foreign bubble in Shanghai first then you may have a more validated opinion.

[Nalano]

USA's been having issues with unpaid overtime and a general increase in work hours without a corresponding increase in average wages, but that's directly attributable to a descent in union organization over the last 30 years and a prolonged economic downturn.

China, on the other hand, never had the sort of labor rights American workers used to enjoy, and as such...

[Shane]

Actually, it has been bad for many people for thousands of years. Many Chinese "buys" jobs. Did you know that? I'm not talking about 200 Yuan here, I am talking about anything up to 100,000 Yuan (for common folk). You think the police or those cretins who works for the labour department can solve these problems? Seriously, you really think they give a shit? China is in a mess because of the "being rich is glorious" mentality.

These problems aren't exclusive to China, you know.