Young workers want it all!

[Super7]

Yes, the majority of local middle class (the sandwiched class) have got bills to pay ... condo, car(s), parking, ERP, fuel, credit cards, children's education and daily expenses, parental upkeep, marketing, meals out, recreation, vacations, etc etc ...

 

The majority middle class cannot sustain work-life balance ... something has to give - diminished career prospects, lost opportunity on promotions, significant increments - it's your call.

 

Even within the so-called middle class life style there are priorities / choices to be made. One can always choose his list of priorities to suit his income / ability to earn money so that he can balance his work and life eg without having to overwork to support his life style.

 

For example, if owning a 1.5m home / 300k car requires him to stress himself to earn the money pay for them and have little time left for his family and himself, maybe he can adjust his life style to a 500k home / 120k car to be less stressed in work life and more relaxed in life outside work?

[Super7]

last time, the way I do it is that for snr. managers and above, they all have flexi hours or they can WFH.

 

I don't quite care what time they come or go home as long they get their KPI done.

 

For the lower levels, especially those earning OTs, those group definitely have to work according to the hours. But we allow time off for these staff if they have some personal issues.

 

My advise for people who wants work-life balance .....well, work hard and get to the top group. At the top, working hours are longer, but you have more flexibility in managing your own time.

 

Workers at all levels should be given the choice to have a balanced work / life. For the lower level workers you mentioned, bosses shouldnt assign them work loans which require them to work say 8am to 10pm coz its hard for them to have work life balance. On the part of the workers, if their work loads requrie them to work 8am to 7pm, they should complete their work and go home 7pm to spend time with family etc.

 

How bosses design the work loads can determin whether the workers can have work life balance. This is not advocating lazy work attitudes but to be fair to both sides.

 

Edited May 20, 2014 by Super7

[Kangadrool]

 

Well-said.

 

Wanted to gibe 10 points, but can only gibe 5.

 

Is liddat one.... People always like to think their generation/batch is betterer than newer ones.

 

The only reason this article is published is to f-up new graduates and psycho ppl into thinking FT is cheaper better fasterer and we should welcome them with open arms.

Every generation will also have new grads with dreamy expectations or lazy bums. It's not a new thing. Don't pretend your generation dun have. There will always be those who can and those who cannot make it. Every generation will also always say that the new gen. is lazier or lousier than them. Just that back then, nobody really gave a shiet.

I have met both good and bad interns, the lazy ones, the ASKs as well as the hardworking ones and those with initiative and motivation. IMO, this published article has a hidden agenda and the writer is a dinosaur just trying to feel better about himself and his worklife inbalance.

 

[Super7]

Frankly speaking, I still see a lot of 'long hours' in office because must let boss see 'hardworking' by

 

1) Waiting for spouse to pick up

2) Surfing net (proof:- workers who surf mcf frequetly during office hours, bosses excluded? unless they are super efficient workers or their bosses under-assign work to them)

3) Talking cock among colleagues

4) Just staring into the roof

 

etc.

 

So much for long hours.

 

[Super7]

- For many Gen Y, it is all too apparent, that they are competing with FT who are CBF & here to hit & run.

 

- the pay increment is not equitable to the additional workload that comes w a promotion just like how incomes has not kept up with rising cost of living.

 

- Gen Y is also aware that CBF FT(s) are paying down jobs. Eg, a foreign bank pays an India Indian FT 3.6-4k for an AVP (supervisory) position. This position actually yields 5-7k /mth w/o paydown previously.

 

- In some SME(s), upon promotion, the staff gets a 10% increment from her existing 2k. However, JD increase by 30%.

 

- Under such a gloomy, pessimistic & depressing job market, it is not surprising that many Gen Y (possibly Gen Z too in the future) decided to choose balance instead as it is a variable that is more within their control.

 

- From the author's article, I infer of it as a case of Sin progressing from a 3rd world menial/blue collared to a 3rd world white collared city.

 

 

Well said!

 

(have to wait a while to praise)

 

 

[Super7]

very simple issue

 

99% of the workforce is working for money to spend. For this group, work-life balance is important. Of course, you do not normally expect to earn millions a year if you are in this group.

 

1% are entrepreneurs or people who really love their job/ have a calling or people with no life except to immerse themselves in the drudgery of work. For this group, they can work 24/7. They will be rewarded by immense amount of money, or feel like they have done something great with their life through their work.

 

Among my friends, some choose to stay more or less where they are (or at the most with very moderate promotion) in their work place coz working to them is merely to make sufficient money to support their life style / family and they dont really set very hard targets. They are unlikely to be rich, but are happy with their life.

 

Others work very hard to get ahead or put 24/7 efforts in their business to earn as much as possible even at the expense of time for themselves and their family. Many in this group become rich and feel very satisfied with their life regardless if they spend time with family at all.

 

As long as at the end of the day both groups dont regret what they choose, i guess it's always to each his own.

[Super7]

The word "work life balance" already states work first life second then finally got balance.

 

i will learn how to use Life-Work balance, starting now....

[Super7]

This is problem of social engineering.....

 

One moment, two child is enough, one moment two is not enough.....

 

One moment, work hard 'cos our neighours are hungry and catching up fast, one moment we were told to have "work-life balance" 'cos people comprain no GF/BF, no piak piak, no children, no time with children...................................................

 

We keep flip-flopping.....

 

 

LOL, nothing new...

 

[Wyfitms]

 

Among my friends, some choose to stay more or less where they are (or at the most with very moderate promotion) in their work place coz working to them is merely to make sufficient money to support their life style / family and they dont really set very hard targets. They are unlikely to be rich, but are happy with their life.

 

Others work very hard to get ahead or put 24/7 efforts in their business to earn as much as possible even at the expense of time for themselves and their family. Many in this group become rich and feel very satisfied with their life regardless if they spend time with family at all.

 

As long as at the end of the day both groups dont regret what they choose, i guess it's always to each his own.

 

yes, to each his own bro

[Sosaria]

Anyway, youngsters should go into jobs with both eyes open. Some jobs, such as where the article writer is coming from, e.g. journalism, are definitely 24/7 type with lots of urgency. It's not possible to want a career in this area, yet want work-life balance!

 

Some jobs have shift hours, but the work is only done during the shift period - without extra brought home... this is also a possibility for work-life balance, though weekend work and night shifts may not appeal to everyone.

 

If not cut out for it, then shouldn't apply for the job, or even study in that particular field. There are many job areas or fields of study that lead to jobs with mainly office hours only.

[Icedbs]

 

Workers at all levels should be given the choice to have a balanced work / life. For the lower level workers you mentioned, bosses shouldnt assign them work loans which require them to work say 8am to 10pm coz its hard for them to have work life balance. On the part of the workers, if their work loads requrie them to work 8am to 7pm, they should complete their work and go home 7pm to spend time with family etc.

 

 

Of course. For lower level workers, work should be plan for 8 hours a day. If it is more than 8 hours, then the schedule should be stretched to the next day, otherwise give OT pay if urgent.

 

If a boss everyday demand a 12-hour job to be completed in a normal 8 hours work day, then that boss is a slave driver liow la.

 

 

 

 

[Aishin]

You all don't want work-life balan meh? and what's wrong with "wishing" not to work on weekends? I think that's totally normal.

 

Article is shit and trying to push a certain agenda. Writer is also beh kan loser who believes he will get a lousier appraisal if he doesn't work OT.

 

Agreed. Who doesn't want work life-balance?

[Vhtfhwlego]

 

Of course. For lower level workers, work should be plan for 8 hours a day. If it is more than 8 hours, then the schedule should be stretched to the next day, otherwise give OT pay if urgent.

 

If a boss everyday demand a 12-hour job to be completed in a normal 8 hours work day, then that boss is a slave driver liow la.

 

 

 

 

I left my last job because 4 FT couldn't cope with say 200 jobs.

My current office, 3 locals couldn't cope with 100 jobs.

 

How to plan 8hours job for 8hours period?

Locals should be able to preform better but not in my case.

 

U don't give staff pressure, they don't think they can do it.

When they did it's everytime, it became normal.

Good management then will reward staffs with incentive and bonus.

 

Sadly, it's not my KPI whether staffs perform or not.

If they wanna think they are performing, I just hope that they don't get retrench.

[Fuelsaver]

times have changed - a decade or 2 ago, we asked about job scope before interview / quoting remuneration.

 

now, "potential" candidates ask about remuneration before face -to-face interview (so as not to waste time for them to come down for non-guaranteed job offer i suppose).

 

once a friend told me, "doesn't matter if you're up to a job, if the market offers such pay for our profession, the employer must pay accordingly."

 

i oso don't believe in passion - by & large, we work because we need money to get by our lives; who can forgo the realities of living just because he has a passion? if the passion is in a profession that happens to pay well, fine, if not, would you work for free even you have lotsa passion?

 

i am more inclined to taking pride and professionalism in work, which i opine is more sustainable and realistic.

[Knoobie]

times have changed - a decade or 2 ago, we asked about job scope before interview / quoting remuneration.

 

now, "potential" candidates ask about remuneration before face -to-face interview (so as not to waste time for them to come down for non-guaranteed job offer i suppose).

 

once a friend told me, "doesn't matter if you're up to a job, if the market offers such pay for our profession, the employer must pay accordingly."

 

i oso don't believe in passion - by & large, we work because we need money to get by our lives; who can forgo the realities of living just because he has a passion? if the passion is in a profession that happens to pay well, fine, if not, would you work for free even you have lotsa passion?

 

i am more inclined to taking pride and professionalism in work, which i opine is more sustainable and realistic.

IMHO, passion is a very grey word that HR loves to use when it comes to doing appraisal..

 

and very often, their meaning of passion is = number of hours you spent on doing the work.

 

where the real meaning of passion to them is = professionalism.

[Etnt]

IMHO, passion is a very grey word that HR loves to use when it comes to doing appraisal..

 

and very often, their meaning of passion is = number of hours you spent on doing the work.

 

where the real meaning of passion to them is = professionalism.

Cos doing you job well is often equated to your baseline, so how to differentiate? Hardship lor (number of hours put in).

 

Then if u can put in less hours to achieve the same result, instead of praising your productivity, you will get asked to do more instead.

[Knoobie]

Cos doing you job well is often equated to your baseline, so how to differentiate? Hardship lor (number of hours put in).

 

Then if u can put in less hours to achieve the same result, instead of praising your productivity, you will get asked to do more instead.

IMO, one with passion will take initiative to suggest improvements or take initiative to improve the process to make things more productive.

 

Unless what they want is just a zombie worker that comes on time, do the work they need by the way they are instructed. finish and leave when they are suppose to.

 

then again, like you said, it appears like the local HR pattern seems to prefer the latter.

[The_Bear]

Customers don't pay for work life balance. Would you pay more for your bills so that your Telco's staff can have better work life balance?

 

Pull your hours, earn your stripes. Then you can have all the balance in the world and no one cares.