Service Industry

When you look at people working in hotels and restaurants, the issue of OT is well documented, since they are usually using a punch-in work card that accurately reports the time they punch in and out of work, at least in the larger establishments. Of course the waters get real muddy in terms of when OT begins if a time-tracking system is not used, or when the system is used mainly to ensure employees don’t “arrive late” and “leave early” with its main purpose not being to track OT.

We spoke with Maggie who is the Director of Rooms at an international 5 star hotel chain, who said that her hotel is very good about OT. She is given extra time off for extra work, her staff is paid equal time for weekday OT and double pay for OT on weekends. However all OT must have prior approval and she has a labor cost budget which she must keep in mind so OT is carefully used. It should be noted, this was at a high-end international hotel. Therefore management would likely be following processes set by the overseas parent company not simply the whims of a local manager. In addition, generally speaking, foreign owned corporations are quite diligent about following local labor laws in an attempt to avoid legal litigation.

Ms. Li who is a sale representative in a local Chinese hotel indicated that they are seldom paid for overtime so she avoids it and only on special occasions as requested by her boss. These examples aren’t meant to “pick on” Chinese businesses, rather from an editorial perspective help readers to understand the difference in “OT culture” as is often found between local and foreign firms. Since foreign funded firms may be tied into a larger international management system, they may be quite sensitive about legal liability. To them, if OT happens, it is viewed as a “cost” and needs to be managed closely. Local firms on the other hand may pay nothing for OT, as with Ms. Li’s example. Thus for them, OT is seen as something the company is “entitled” to in exchange for giving you the job.

OT culture does seem to be strongly linked with views on employer and employee relationships. In China, many relationships have been influenced by the “Emperor” system of long along. In such a social system, whatever the Emperor requested, no matter when or where, those beneath him were required to respond immediately and without even a sense of disagreement. This Emperor like mentally has to some extent influenced Chinese bosses. They feel, in many cases like they are the “Emperor”. Be the manager of a department, or the boss of the company, as the “leader” he has Emperor like authority to demand pretty must anything of those working beneath him.

Thus, in a social system that has been strongly infected with the “Emperor syndrome”, bosses can be quite quick to demand long hours of workers. Especially in service related industries. Support jobs like cooks, waiters, cleaning staff, and the like are given little opportunity to “rebel”. After all, many of these depend on the employer for a paycheck, place to live, and even food to eat. This makes losing a job a huge deal. Service jobs are done mainly by migrants. Therefore, when they come to a city they could have little resources financially and in terms of family. Thus, in the big scheme of things, working some “unpaid” overtime isn’t a big deal when compared with the consequences of provoking the “Emperor’s” rage.