Singaporeans explain what it's like working for a Chinese tech company

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Abigail Ng, CNBC, 13 December 2021
  • CNBC interviewed 10 current and former employees of Chinese tech firms to ask what work life is like in those companies’ Singapore offices.
  • The hours may sometimes go long, but most people who spoke to CNBC said the “996” work culture common among tech firms in China hasn’t been adopted in Singapore.
  • English-speaking workers described Mandarin being common in the workplace, as well as working on contract.

Singaporeans who have worked at Chinese tech firms said job-seekers should be prepared to work long hours, especially when interacting with colleagues based in China.

“There is no sacred day or time,” said the former employee who found the use of Mandarin at a Tencent subsidiary overwhelming. She said her bosses, who are based in China, sent her questions at night, during the weekend and on public holidays.

“You could just ignore it, but would you really be able to relax knowing your boss is waiting for your reply?” she asked.

“There’s no real rest time, only work time and standby time,” she added.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This "no real rest time" is also practiced in some Chinese crypto firms in Singapore. I heard of a Chinese crypto company that just started to move their operations to Singapore whose bosses send instructions via messages and emails to employees as late as midnight and weekends. These bosses do not respect employees' personal/private space and time. Be warned if you are thinking of joining these types of companies. You will lose your mind, health and family. I heard of a Chinese man in the crypto firm who just divorced because he spent too much time at work, neglecting his wife and child.

Working hard is good up to a point before it crosses the line that turn into abuse. Good companies take care of their employees' mental, physical well-being and family.
December 13, 2021 at 4:01 PM
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