'Sweatshop' work week robbing best and brightest of their youth - Singapore's Online Community

**Calis** · 24-01-2007, 11:28 AM

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	Straits Times, Forum, Jan 24, 2007 'Sweatshop' work week robbing best and brightest of their youth What do we do with some of the brightest and most promising young people in Singapore? We abuse them. We assign them to 'sweat-shop' work weeks. They turn up in their offices, seven days a week, clocking in up to 16 to 18 hours each day, public holidays included. What is the explanation for this behaviour? The chief reason is that it is the organisational norm. It is expected that they put in these hours in the office, every day of the week, and take work home to boot. It is a surrealistic siege mentality. As if 'we will all perish if we do not work like this'. In fact, the main concern in the organisation is how much can be extracted from each of these eager and brilliant and talented young men and women. The work hours leave them drained. There is no time for friends, family, or any other considerations apart from the work placed before them. So they get paid some money, and several months of bonus, and work in air-conditioned upmarket offices. But they are robbed of their youth, their own time and any opportunity of living any semblance of a 'balanced' life in the world outside of their offices. With this kind of work life, many of our brightest and best young men and women postpone any ideas of starting a family till well into their 30s, if at all. 'Family friendly' rules and regulations seem to be in place only far down the ladder, if at all, and in too few organisations. Until we pull the plug on this way of workplace expectations, Singapore will continue to have some of its brightest and best remaining single and childless for several generations ahead. Or else, they quit their jobs and do something else entirely different from their training and vocation. I hope this letter can serve to invite dialogue on this topic, and move us as a society towards a more civilised and measured, if not gracious, lifestyle. Dr Elizabeth Nair

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**ic3st0rmer** · 24-01-2007, 11:42 AM

it's very true... btw, we can only work up to 12 hours. if work more than 12 hours, the remaining hours are not covered by MOM.... but somew companies know this, and requires their staff to work for more than 12 hours.. so bad lo...... whereas the employers can go home much earlier to rest and have fun.

**loonshi** · 24-01-2007, 12:14 PM

ya lor... some companies nv even pay ot.. irregardless hw many hours u work.. so might as well on the dot go home..