The one-shot society

[Ideologue]

Oh, well that's only more depressing.  GOOD WORK.

[Monoriu]

If you replace "Korea" with "Hong Kong" in the article, it'll still be largely true.

At least in Korea if you're really talented at some thing they have a special school for it. Sports academies, music academies, etc.

Korea's big enough that it has its own pro leagues, music scene, etc.

Yeah, there are also differences between HK and Korea.  In HK, it is very common and acceptable to change jobs and careers.  Most graduates can find jobs quite easily, the only problem is that most of the entry level jobs don't pay well.  In fact the pay is really lousy.  Exam day (or in our case, fortnight) is nothing special. 

[Monoriu]

Oh, well that's only more depressing.  GOOD WORK.

I don't know about Korea, but in HK, there isn't much in terms of publicly funded or subsidized child care.  Parents often have to work very long hours, from 9-9.  It is also illegal to leave young children alone at home.  So unless you have grandparents or relatives who can look after the children, you have to send your children somewhere when they get off school.  Might as well be private tutoring. 

[Ideologue]

Huh.  9-9?  Weren't you people run by Britain?

[jimmy olsen]

This kind of obsessive studying and social isolation leads to high school students who though being full grown physically with the behavior and maturity of middle school students.

Most of the girls at my school act like they're 12.

[Monoriu]

Huh.  9-9?  Weren't you people run by Britain?

I don't know where you get the idea that Brits are slackers.  Some of the most zealous workaholics in the HK civil service are Brits (we still have a few of them).  I know someone who jumped off the roof because of work pressure.  His boss was a Brit. 

[Ideologue]

Huh.  9-9?  Weren't you people run by Britain?

I don't know where you get the idea that Brits are slackers.  Some of the most zealous workaholics in the HK civil service are Brits (we still have a few of them).  I know someone who jumped off the roof because of work pressure.  His boss was a Brit.

I got the idea that Britain imposed 40 hour work weeks because they were civilized people who realized that laissez-faire capitalism would destroy the social fabric if it was permitted and also to spread jobs.*

Guess it didn't make it all the way around the world.

*And it wouldn't be a bad idea to mandate 35 hour work weeks now.

[Monoriu]

Huh.  9-9?  Weren't you people run by Britain?

I don't know where you get the idea that Brits are slackers.  Some of the most zealous workaholics in the HK civil service are Brits (we still have a few of them).  I know someone who jumped off the roof because of work pressure.  His boss was a Brit.

I got the idea that Britain imposed 40 hour work weeks because they were civilized people who realized that laissez-faire capitalism would destroy the social fabric if it was permitted and also to spread jobs.*

Guess it didn't make it all the way around the world.

*And it wouldn't be a bad idea to mandate 35 hour work weeks now.

You can't limit working hours by legal action.  It may work in a factory or a mine but not in an office.  The real problem is peer pressure.  Officially, everybody who work beyond 6 do so voluntarily, and that's not going to change no matter how many hours the law says. 

[Ideologue]

Huh.  9-9?  Weren't you people run by Britain?

I don't know where you get the idea that Brits are slackers.  Some of the most zealous workaholics in the HK civil service are Brits (we still have a few of them).  I know someone who jumped off the roof because of work pressure.  His boss was a Brit.

I got the idea that Britain imposed 40 hour work weeks because they were civilized people who realized that laissez-faire capitalism would destroy the social fabric if it was permitted and also to spread jobs.*

Guess it didn't make it all the way around the world.

*And it wouldn't be a bad idea to mandate 35 hour work weeks now.

You can't limit working hours by legal action.  It may work in a factory or a mine but not in an office.  The real problem is peer pressure.  Officially, everybody who work beyond 6 do so voluntarily, and that's not going to change no matter how many hours the law says.

Well, you dudes are probably salaried.  Our civil servants get overtime.

Of course, you'll probably tell me your superiors and your own government would just flaunt the law entirely and make people work for free.

[Monoriu]

It is like this.  You are the newcomer in the office.  Very soon you discover that everybody leaves at 8 or 9 in the evening, or even later.  Some even work on Sundays.  When you have conversations with people, the topic of "so and so is a slacker, see, he leaves at 7!  Hey, what time do you get off duty?" come up.  You don't care about any of that, and leave early anyway.  Then one morning, someone discreetly told you that your boss looked for you last night for an urgent task, but couldn't get hold of you.  So he asked someone else to do it anyway.  And from that day on, whenever you see your boss, it is no longer the same.  And next week, your boss is going to write your appraisal report, and that someone else's.  Then you get a phone call from HR saying there are rumours that you don't fit in the place well, and if they hear such rumours again they may have to "take action".  Yeah, there maybe application forms available to apply for OT compensation, but the officer in charge tells you that no one has ever applied for the past 40 years, and he is not sure what'll happen to you if you do fill in the form.  He is not discouraging you, he added. 

See what I mean?

[Zanza]

I really enjoy my 35 hour workweek by the way.

[Razgovory]

We have a magical thing called "Time and a half".  If you work overtime, they have to pay you your wage plus 50%.  Suddenly, the boss don't want your ass there till nine in the evening every night.

[Ideologue]

It is like this.  You are the newcomer in the office.  Very soon you discover that everybody leaves at 8 or 9 in the evening, or even later.  Some even work on Sundays.  When you have conversations with people, the topic of "so and so is a slacker, see, he leaves at 7!  Hey, what time do you get off duty?" come up.  You don't care about any of that, and leave early anyway.  Then one morning, someone discreetly told you that your boss looked for you last night for an urgent task, but couldn't get hold of you.  So he asked someone else to do it anyway.  And from that day on, whenever you see your boss, it is no longer the same.  And next week, your boss is going to write your appraisal report, and that someone else's.  Then you get a phone call from HR saying there are rumours that you don't fit in the place well, and if they hear such rumours again they may have to "take action".  Yeah, there maybe application forms available to apply for OT compensation, but the officer in charge tells you that no one has ever applied for the past 40 years, and he is not sure what'll happen to you if you do fill in the form.  He is not discouraging you, he added. 

See what I mean?

Yes.  It appears that you live in a corrupt society that has no respect for rule of law.

And I'm not saying this just to yell at you.  I find it truly disturbing.

[Ideologue]

I really enjoy my 35 hour workweek by the way.

My workweek is about 25 hours.

[Monoriu]

Yes.  It appears that you live in a corrupt society that has no respect for rule of law.

And I'm not saying this just to yell at you.  I find it truly disturbing.

We have no laws that mandate working hours