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Q: How do I not offend my Chinese colleagues?
I feel like Chinese companies tend to blur the line between professional and personal life. When I clock out, I'm clocked out. How do I get my Chinese colleagues to understand that?
8 years 31 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
When taken to the extreme, that kind of attitude could offend your colleagues anywhere in the world. It's pretty normal for workers anywhere to sometimes grab a beer after work, get lunch together during the workday, socialize over coffee in the break room etc. If you refuse to socialize at all and only talk about work, you're probably not going to be a very pleasant co-worker to be around in China or anywhere else.
That being said, you might have a legitimate complaint if you're constantly being pressured into lots of work events that you feel are eating into your personal time. If you don't like spending time around your co-workers outside the office, I'd say just go out for special office functions or meals occasionally (I dunno maybe once a month or even just a few times per year) to show that you're a team player but explain that you have other interests and obligations so you can't do more things (you belong to a sports club, need to see your see your significant other, take care of a sick relative or friend, are getting a master's degree online etc. whether or not it's true).
When taken to the extreme, that kind of attitude could offend your colleagues anywhere in the world. It's pretty normal for workers anywhere to sometimes grab a beer after work, get lunch together during the workday, socialize over coffee in the break room etc. If you refuse to socialize at all and only talk about work, you're probably not going to be a very pleasant co-worker to be around in China or anywhere else.
That being said, you might have a legitimate complaint if you're constantly being pressured into lots of work events that you feel are eating into your personal time. If you don't like spending time around your co-workers outside the office, I'd say just go out for special office functions or meals occasionally (I dunno maybe once a month or even just a few times per year) to show that you're a team player but explain that you have other interests and obligations so you can't do more things (you belong to a sports club, need to see your see your significant other, take care of a sick relative or friend, are getting a master's degree online etc. whether or not it's true).
