Tomorrow marks National Day in China, and everyone is supposed to get seven days off work. Good, eh?
But. The actual number of holidays the government has thoughtfully provided is three — five, when you include the weekend. In order to encourage domestic tourism, they bump up the break to seven days, but do not actually give anyone extra days off. We have to work Saturday and Sunday next week to make up for the extra days they have thoughtfully forced on me to stay home. That means eight days of work without a break, two weeks after my trip when I worked for 15 consecutive days.
I’m lucky, though, other people have been instructed to report for work for 12 straight days through this Golden Week. And I’ve heard of others who’ve worked every day for a month.
Comments
30 September 2004
15:16
Simon World
Asia by Blog
Asia by Blog is a twice weekly feature, posted on Monday and Thursday, providing links to Asian blogs and their views on the news in this fascinating region. Please send me an email if you would like to be notified of new editions. Previous editions ca…
1 October 2004
01:27
Terry
The beatings and holidays off that you have to make up will continue until morale improves. ;o)
1 October 2004
10:00
mdmhvonpa
Yikes … and people say us americans work too hard. Friggen unions, making us work less … sheesh!
3 October 2004
15:40
Derek
Well, can’t say it’s the same in Europe. Here we leave early on Fri. I can normally leave about 4pm. Unheard of compared to my Singapore experience of meetings at 7pm on a Fri evening!
I would definitely say that Asians work the longest hours but not always in a constructive and organised manner!
4 October 2004
11:59
andrea
You said it, wee man.
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