Government Jobs

Most government jobs in China will not have overtime as office hours are very strict and working over 40 hours a week is not a usual requirement. I spoke with Ms. Cai an officer at TEDA and she said: “I am in government and never think about OT, just do what your boss asks you to do.” She is also in a manager position and as mentioned, overtime is usually expected to be performed without compensation. For the clerical positions, overtime is usually compensated with time off.

Drivers and cleaning staff will likely be paid for extra time worked and in fact, many drivers will depend on OT in order to make sufficient income in a position that traditionally pays the minimum wage. In many cases the OT earned is as much the regular salary. As will be discussed later, this is where OT can be a debated subject. Namely, some may argue that overtime is a burden or intrusion on the workers right to free-time. Others however may actually “want” OT due to the opportunity to earn extra money at a significantly higher pay rate.

This example also reflects how the “emperor mentally” is strong in Chinese culture. Ms. Cai thinks less in terms of OT and more in terms of obedience to her superior. Another interesting aspect of OT culture in China is that it seems to be a bit of a “rite of passage”. Namely, lower level workers are expected to accept OT as normal, and not really something that is to be questioned regardless of whether or not due compensation is involved. Without this willingness to go the extra mile, a worker would hardly be considered for a raise or promotion. In addition, it could be seen that they haven’t paid their “dues” so to speak, needing more time to prove their loyalty and desire to sacrifice-self in behalf of the greater good.

In USA and Canada, overtime is paid on any work performed over the 40 hours per week but usually has to be pre-approved and if the company has a labor union, there will be strict rules applied to who will receive overtime. In most cases, managers will not receive overtime, as they are on a salary base and it is expected that some overtime will be incurred as part of the position.

This point shows that some prefer hourly wages versus a set salary. Especially if overtime is going to be a frequent issue. On the flip side, hourly wages tend to be lower than “salary” pay. This is because salaries may actually have some “overtime” built in. So as to say, that expected overtime often associated with management positions is because the base pay is sufficient enough to merit it. Thus both pay options have their pros and cons. For many, the key is making sure the total compensation is sufficient. Since overtime isn’t guaranteed, and in tight times might even be done away with in order to control costs, a fixed salary may be the more desired option even if this means working overtime without additional pay.

France 35 hours per week is the normal work week and most European countries have 28 days annual vacation so while overtime is paid or time off is given, the system is very generous to labor and you can see why costs are so high.

In the United Kingdom UK, there is not overtime, but hardworking employees are usually provided additional time off, known as time off in lieu. Unless agreed to, UK employees should not work more than 48 hours per week.

In most western companies, private life takes a priority over work. You will hear the common saying: “Family before work”. In China many business deals are finalized after hours over dinner or at a social event. This is not as common in the west and business is usually completed during business hours at the office. Eating and drinking with colleagues and clients does occur. However, in comparison to China, it rarely happens into the wee hours of the night. Most managers don’t want to go drinking with vendors after work, instead want to get home to the family. Therefore, if overtime happens, a lot of time it is because they have to “stay late at the office” to take care of some important matter, prepare for a big meeting the next day, or have to finish research or a report. This is totally different than working overtime to wine and dine a client afterhours.

Although things are changing somewhat in China, as we spoke with Joyce at a private company with international connections, she recently had her second child and tries to spend more time with her kids. She said that she will work overtime if there is a special project and the boss requires it, but prefers not to and will take time off by combining this with a weekend or other holiday to spend more time with her children. Her husband works for a local SOE, State Owned Enterprise and he also works overtime but does so to help them financially.

Notice Joyce works for a company with “international connections”. This is no doubt a catalyst for the changing overtime culture. Those looking for less OT or at least overtime that is compensated or has certain boundaries may want to consider international firms or those with strict OT policies. A good tip is to get to know people that already work at the company before making a move. By means of them, you can understand how OT is being handled. In general though, this difference in OT culture is linked with East and West. In the West, workers tend to have clear lines between family and business. This isn’t necessarily so in China. China is well known for its “relationship” based business, whereby people don’t just do business with strangers, but rather friends and family. Therefore, it is common that OT is seen as “part of the job”, not something “extra”. Why?

Simply because, social events like eating and drinking are often done as part of getting the deal or working together, after all partnerships are between “friends and family” and what kind of friend or family doesn’t eat and drink together? Likewise, since everyone is busy “working” during the day, the best time to meet up, relax, and strengthen the “relationship” is after “5 pm”. This is where Chinese OT and Western OT may not be exactly the same. In a strict sense, anything work related done outside of normal business hours such as “9-5” is “overtime”. However, in China the overtime work isn’t as black and white as sitting at a desk handling company issues thereby this time may get overlooked in terms of considering it true “overtime” which needs to be compensated for by the company.

This OT expectation isn’t limited to China. Korean’s for example are also well known for their late night business related activities. Korean bosses are thought of as fairly demanding, with the possibility of calling at any hour, requiring work to be done. Plus, as with China, a good bit of business is handled by means of social interactions like sharing a meal or drink together, which yet again will usually happen “after work hours”. Still, one’s participation in these events may not carry with it any additional OT pay.

In broad terms, overtime work in the West is usually going to involve real work, such as being stuck at the office, or completing some hands on labor at a factory. Therefore it may likely involve additional company compensation. In the East, since overtime may involve quite a bit of socializing with business implications, the line gets blurry as to compensation. After all, how do you clock, report and compensate an employee for a night out on the town?