Chapter 445: Epilogue: Where It All Started (II)
Mo Qingchen didn't hesitate to respond. "The landscape of the software and technology industry is ever-changing. It has been growing rapidly for the last few decades. The primary reason why entrepreneurs and tech companies push such hours of work is that they associate longer work hours with more work done. They think that such hours will drive results and earn more profits," he said.
His response had a ripple effect. The CEO from the start-up looked like he had a lot to say. Thankfully, he kept quiet for a while before Su Jin turned to him with a question.
"Hearing what Mr. Mo has to say, what is your thought about the issue? Are the long working hours unproductive like Mr. Mo implied?" she questioned.
"The technology landscape is driven by hard work. Especially for startups that have a small workforce and no capital to employ a larger number of employees to finish projects like a company of Mr. Mo's magnitude would," he started. "And these conditions aren't impressed upon the employees. They choose those hours. Most technology companies have flexible working hours. Because the employees are driven and wish for their company to succeed, they do put in more effort," he concluded.
Qian Meng scoffed in her heart. What a crock of bullshit. She didn't let her emotion show, though.
Su Jin turned to the other employee present at the scene. "I can see that you have something to say. Please go ahead."
"I think that the 'we are a family' culture is used as an underhanded tactic to coerce employees into working long hours. It says that you are not just paid to work but you also have an invested interest in how the company grows. In reality, the employees who work long hours get nothing except for their salary and some snacks at the office. No number of snacks compare to having the time to cook a meal at home or eating out with friends," she demanded.
"Can you elaborate on this issue?" Su Jin questioned, thrilled. "When I was working such long hours, I remember eating all three meals of the day in the office. I had no social life and I only came to the house to rest my head before waking up and starting my day to work again. Of course, I got a salary, but I felt like I was obligated to work those hours without getting extra pay for my efforts. I didn't even have a place to spend the money I was earning!" she said finally.
Qian Meng nodded in agreement. This was the crux of the issue. This is why they had gathered.
"And that is why we have gathered here. Two days ago, a male employee was found in a critical condition in his cubicle. He was taken to the emergency room but he passed away last evening," Su Jin announced with a voice filled with grief.
"Since then, loads of messages from bosses to their employees have surfaced on the internet as people related to the stress of overwork. But most people still can't escape the grind. Professor Bo, you have been observing this phenomenon for a while. Can you give us an inside look into why this work culture has developed in our nation?" Su Jin asked.
The professor in question was an elderly man in his late fifties. He shifted and straightened in his seat before speaking in a low and grave voice. "Compared to the white-collar workers living in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom, the income of white-collar workers in China is much lower. The situation gets worse for the middle class. The income gap between the lower-income class and middle-income class is huge. If someone doesn't work really hard, they can slip into poverty. There is a huge pressure on children to work beyond their natural limits to ensure a comfortable livelihood for their family."
Su Jin hummed. "So, that means, people would willingly work those hours because of the fear of slipping into poverty."
And the conversation continued. "There is an invisible mental pressure for employees to work more to earn more," Qian Meng said slowly. "You might not work twelve hours a day, six days a week. It is the possibility of being called into work at any time of the day and having to leave whatever you are doing to complete this emergency work that sucks out the life of people," Qian Meng started. "It might not seem like the case but not only entry-level and managerial level employees, but executives and owners often work such hours, too. You might feel like you will not surpass your goals if you don't do it. Be it money or the expectations of others. I was, personally, working at all hours of the day for the first four years of starting Venus. I can say without a hint of doubt that it sucked my soul out. At the end of the day, when my head hit the pillow, I couldn't even remember what human emotions felt like. I was just this working machine," she prompted.
Before anyone could chime in, she added promptly, "I know, that the main motivation here is money, but the pressure to do better and feeling like not working those hours will make people think you are a bad person is also a factor."
She made her point and stopped speaking.
The one who had quit her job due to stress spoke up too. "I fully agree. I knew I could make enough money even if I didn't work abnormal hours. But I took calls at two or three in the morning to take care of emergencies. At one point, I started to hallucinate and lost sleep because I was too worried to get what little sleep I was allowed. In my hallucinations, I always felt that my cellphone was ringing. It was the constant paranoia that someone was looking for me. I was terrorized to go to work every morning."
"The law states that people should work for eight hours a day, but companies often have stipulations in the contract under names like 'flexible working hours.' It necessarily means that you can be on call whenever your boss thinks it is necessary," Su Jin commented. "Reports have come out that if strict implementing of overtime salary was dolled out, a lot of companies would go bankrupt paying their employees."
This time, the one in the managerial position spoke up. "As someone who is in the workforce and at the same time career-driven, I can't say that I support 9-9-6, but I appreciate the hard work people put in. Their struggle makes a world of difference."
Qian Meng almost rolled her eyes. She eyed Mo Qingchen curiously and could see him trying to hide a smirk at the bullshit being sprouted from the mouth of the other.