Yes, Richard works for a Chinaman Company and we knowingly made the decision for him to switch over. This doesn’t stop me from having it as my pet peeve. Here are a few more reasons why:
The one that ticked me off today:
- Richard will need to work a full day this Saturday because his boss is visiting and is a micro manager who feels that his presence in the factory will increase productivity. Therefore...all other managers have to do the same. Its the whole 'keep them on their toes' mentality. If he expects Richard to go in on Sunday (our anniversary) I will personally go and accompany them on the plant floor to boost productivity even MORE!
Other reasons why they tick me off regularly:
- They work five and a half days each week.
- At Plant 1, the 4 hrs on Saturday morning is required so that there is somebody to answer the phone just in case a customer rings. Customers are either sleeping in or will understand that its SATURDAY.
- At Plant 2, the half day is 1 hr longer than at Plant 1. Just because.
- They have an internet connection but the main purpose is for the big bosses overseas to monitor remote plants via CCTVs. No plans to go paperless in the next 100 yrs. Managers are required to put ink on paper to approve anything. Waste of time!
- Re-imbursements may be delayed by up to a month if the approving manager forgets to put the ink on paper before leaving. Monthly wages also need the ink. Never mind that we are given an allowance here that lasts exactly a month ONLY! The rest of the wages are banked into the Malaysian account.
- To avoid paying an employee his expat wages/allowances, the company requests that he goes on ‘assimilation trips’ once a month for several weeks per trip.
Anyway...I'm fuming. This weekend is our last together before I leave for Brisbane and we had things planned!
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label management. Show all posts
Friday, July 27, 2007
Friday, May 25, 2007
Fried Squid
I guess fried squid can also be thought of as calamari rings. YUM! But thats not the issue today. Fried Squid translated into Cantonese is Chow Yow Yue. To be sacked! Fired! Become Unemployed! Experience loss of income!
So anyway, today I've been wondering whether it is justified to fry an employee's squid if I don't like their attitude. Bad attitude certainly is not good for the work environment but what if this is their natural personality. Then what? Wouldn't it be unfair to them if their natural disposition was to be sour all the time, with no proper manners or ettiquette? Perhaps they weren't taught these things? Maybe the poor village they come from didn't put any value on this. Yet how can it be? Even poor people are taught to greet others, to have respect for people and place.
Bad attitude transcends everything. Interaction with surrounding people. Quality of work.
If you haven't guessed....I'm seriously considering getting my fry pan out. To be fair, I have given the person a talking to. In my mind she is on probabation for the next week. Yet, even the 'talking to' was ineffective because she did not stop what she was doing and half the time did not even respond. That alone pissed me off enough to cut short the talk. Its to her own detriment since now she won't know the extent that she has pushed me to. Why should I feel guilty about it? This is a home environment, not a publicly listed company. I don't need to give 3 warning letters and go through a peer review before I start frying!
So anyway, today I've been wondering whether it is justified to fry an employee's squid if I don't like their attitude. Bad attitude certainly is not good for the work environment but what if this is their natural personality. Then what? Wouldn't it be unfair to them if their natural disposition was to be sour all the time, with no proper manners or ettiquette? Perhaps they weren't taught these things? Maybe the poor village they come from didn't put any value on this. Yet how can it be? Even poor people are taught to greet others, to have respect for people and place.
Bad attitude transcends everything. Interaction with surrounding people. Quality of work.
If you haven't guessed....I'm seriously considering getting my fry pan out. To be fair, I have given the person a talking to. In my mind she is on probabation for the next week. Yet, even the 'talking to' was ineffective because she did not stop what she was doing and half the time did not even respond. That alone pissed me off enough to cut short the talk. Its to her own detriment since now she won't know the extent that she has pushed me to. Why should I feel guilty about it? This is a home environment, not a publicly listed company. I don't need to give 3 warning letters and go through a peer review before I start frying!
Monday, May 21, 2007
A Chinaman Company
1) Interviews you for an overseas posting but assigns you to work locally when you accept the job.
2) Informs you after you have settled into that job that they will post you overseas after all.
3) Convinces you to take the overseas posting by telling you that it comes with
- 4 round trip tickets for you and your family home a year
- 8 days off during each trip....not including your 14 days of annual leave
Then, changes it to
- trips for you but not your family. Although when you try to go on a trip, be prepared to come up with a good explanation. Like your mother died and your father cut of his nose!
- and those 8 days....you can build those up by working 7 days a week. So, in a quarter...thats 13 weeks....you would have made up 13 days but 5 of those are 'freebies' for the chinaman and you can keep the 8.
4) You can of course not work those 7 days a week but watch out for these words of wisdom:
- my wife also complains that we don't spend enough time together....I just drag her and the kids along to the office and put them in the meeting room.
- sure...i have a 10 yr old son who needs me now that he's growing up. but i don't have time for him. yours is just a baby, he won't know the differece.
- don't be so calculating with the company. it will reward you in the end. just work hard, you'll see. stop going home at 5 everyday ok!
5) Has official working hours of 8am-4pm. But thats just on the contract. Its just a piece of paper that doesn't mean anything.
6) Provides an equal opportunity work place for all engineers.....if you are MALE. If you were FEMALE, you would have been screened out when your resume was sent in. There's the pile for MALE applicants and over there, beside the desk, in the TRASH are the female applicants. Its because they'll get married and have babies so....lets spare them the separation anxiety.
The list goes on and on....but I'm a little too riled up to get my thoughts in order. I've always referred to these companies as 'Chinaman Companies' .. but what are they really called. I have no idea.
2) Informs you after you have settled into that job that they will post you overseas after all.
3) Convinces you to take the overseas posting by telling you that it comes with
- 4 round trip tickets for you and your family home a year
- 8 days off during each trip....not including your 14 days of annual leave
Then, changes it to
- trips for you but not your family. Although when you try to go on a trip, be prepared to come up with a good explanation. Like your mother died and your father cut of his nose!
- and those 8 days....you can build those up by working 7 days a week. So, in a quarter...thats 13 weeks....you would have made up 13 days but 5 of those are 'freebies' for the chinaman and you can keep the 8.
4) You can of course not work those 7 days a week but watch out for these words of wisdom:
- my wife also complains that we don't spend enough time together....I just drag her and the kids along to the office and put them in the meeting room.
- sure...i have a 10 yr old son who needs me now that he's growing up. but i don't have time for him. yours is just a baby, he won't know the differece.
- don't be so calculating with the company. it will reward you in the end. just work hard, you'll see. stop going home at 5 everyday ok!
5) Has official working hours of 8am-4pm. But thats just on the contract. Its just a piece of paper that doesn't mean anything.
6) Provides an equal opportunity work place for all engineers.....if you are MALE. If you were FEMALE, you would have been screened out when your resume was sent in. There's the pile for MALE applicants and over there, beside the desk, in the TRASH are the female applicants. Its because they'll get married and have babies so....lets spare them the separation anxiety.
The list goes on and on....but I'm a little too riled up to get my thoughts in order. I've always referred to these companies as 'Chinaman Companies' .. but what are they really called. I have no idea.
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