A Hong Konger work is never done...Really?

Moving and especially working here, an American notes how long everyone stays at work. Wow you think people here must be very overloaded.  I leave work pretty much the normal time from the States at 5:30-6pm and people are still at their desks.  Sometimes I actually have to look at my watch and confirm it is that late because I walk past alot of people still at their desks.

Now I think I have a pretty good handle on my work. Not only that but with the night phone calls, I fell pretty good about it.  But you still doubt when you look at the Hong Kongers.  You start thinking maybe their is something to this Asia work ethic. They wear as a badge of honro staying in the office till 8pm.  But then again, something always seemed a little off. I could never put my finger on it.

I usually eat lunch at my desk, while mostly everyone here takes a nice long lunhc break. So I thought maybe that is it. I dont take long lunches and usually work through lunch when trust me the floor is a literal ghost town from 12:30 to 2.

Then I read an article in this the Sunday Morning Post and things got a little clearer and not in a good way. The article "Miracle Worker," is about the extreme challenges working women with children  have in Hong Kong.  Women here are expected to keep the family needs first if they choose to work. This is another story, just think all the progressive gains women in the workplace have made in the US, Hong Kong is just starting down that equality path.

In the article, Bishop's qoute is what made it all cealr to me.  Robins is the COO of an NGO promoting work-life balance.  (Side note 70% of polled Hong Kongers do not being they have a healthy work life balance.) Robin says, "Hong Kong is built on a hard work ethic.  The local culture tends to reward employees for how visible they are as opposed to their output.  The more time you are seen to spend at the office, the more committed you are."

Think about that for a minute. "How visible you are as opposed to your output." Wow.

I remember my manager at Chase telling me directly, "There are only 2 reasons you work late every night. One you do not know how to manage your time and that is not good or two you have too much to do and you need to let me know because that is not good."

I still think the American work ethic that prioritize output is the better one.