Why Are Chinese Businesses Always So Stingy and Exploitative?

Before I start the discussion this is not a offense to all Chinese and Asian and I just want to point out that not all the Chinese and Asian business are like this, but quite a decent amount of the Chinese business are always exploiting employees wage.

I have worked in a couple of Asian business at Brisbane usually at real estate and hospitality and the most common one are Chinese that are always so stingy about payments and usually likes to exploit employees.

I have work experience in both Taiwan and Australia and this is based on my work experience.

Taiwan: At Taiwan I was a teacher, teaching English to children and the schools are usually private educations. Before I start the work I will usually be offer a contract or a probation contract for an evidence that the job is legitimate and when I always finish work there will always be a clock-in and clock-out time system for evidence that I'm there. Even if there were no contract at pay day there will always be the pay slip system where I must sign a signature to prove that I was working there.

Australia: I will divide this into two. One is Aussie business and the other is Chinese business.

Aussie business: In most Aussie companies I will always be offer a contract or a job offer notice before I start work I will usually be offer a contract and the contract will have some sort of payment evidence to show that I am paid correctly and legally even a clock in system are displayed. Sometimes most Aussie business even pay you slightly higher than the national wage and weekend rewards. What I feel working there is that my identity is not controlled by the employer and I have the freedom to move around and evidence saying that I was there.

Chinese business: Now this is where most of my problems are. Before I work most employers don't even offer a contract. They will always verbally announce the probation contract such as a 2 week probation. Yes, I know that some job does have probations however, the probation wage is so low like $600 a week that's basically $15 an hour. They told me to work for 8 hours a day at a busy restaurant and the pay is significantly less than the national minimum wage. Even apprenticeship and traineeship has higher salary than this. What's worse is that even when I pass the probation period the employer literally just pretended that the probation never exist and still continues to pay you the $15 hourly wage. Plus there is not clock-in system and the employer is basically the clock-in system itself. The way they paid is always so sketchy like they pay you physically instead of digitally and no tax. Even legitimate business they still pay you the national minimum which is good, but compare to Aussie business that pays you slightly higher than the national minimum. I rather work at a Aussie business than a Chinese business since Chinese business are just so stingy and never level up the pay.

Conclusion
What I'm trying to say is that when I worked at a Chinese business. I feel like I'm being controlled and most of my evidence proving that I was working there is not adequately displayed and worse of all erased. The job is so hard working and the reward you get by working is so low that is around $12 to $15 an hour (btw I was an adult that time, not a teenager). There was no contract or some sort of payment evidence to prove that the payment I get is legally earned. I know that not all of Chinese business is like this and the ones that I worked legally. The pay is still basically stuck at the national wage and doesn't really give you a tiny bit more.

When I worked at Aussies business and Taiwan there will always be some sort of evidence to prove you worked there and payment you get is legal and the Chinese business mostly tries to erased my evidence or at least exploit it.

closed Comments

  • +3

    If you are happy with the salary take it, if you don’t then find job elsewhere. We don’t need a white knight and ruin our perfectly seasoned msg succulent chinese meal.

  • +4

    have worked in a couple of Asian business at Brisbane

    You need to get out more…will give your generalisations more credence

  • +22

    Growing up as an Indian Australian surrounded by family that ran businesses (Indian restaurants and grocery stores) I believe this is a cultural issue baked into both Indian and Chinese cultures in my opinion. I believe it’s both a race and cultural thing. No issue with calling this out.

    • I suspect you might feel differently if you grew up an Aussie and were paid below award "cashies" by your Aussie boss.
      I don't think it is cultural, more about the strength of regulation and willingness to accept the practice amongst workers.

      Even the OP acknowledged that their employers in Taiwan were more procedural - surely if it was a cultural practice it would be more common in Taiwan than Brisbane?

    • +1

      No dude, this happens regardless of race.

      Stop thinking White people are somehow angels compared to Indians and Chinese people.

      • +3

        We’re both arguing isolated cases true but also being partially brought up in India, I’ve seen this countless times so I don’t believe this occurs evenly through different races.

        Also, off topic but, I’ve never once since moving here been discriminated against by a white person but have been multiple times by my own race and other ethnicities so go figure .

        • -2

          I’ve seen this countless times so I don’t believe this occurs evenly through different races.

          Fair enough, but I would still be careful about assuming White restauranteurs are better behaved.

          I’ve never once since moving here been discriminated against by a white person but have been multiple times by my own race and other ethnicities so go figure .

          Not surprised, many ethnic people in Australia simp for White people and put them above their own race (e.g. go to an Indian or Chinese restaurant, if there are white people they often get served first).

          • +8

            @Ghost47: You seem to have a false dichotomy about racist observations.

            This is more and more common and I don't hold it against you at all.

            That being said, different cultures absolutely have different tendencies, this is observably true. Things can be both racist and true at the same time, one does not cancel out the other. Having lived and worked in both India and China and being natively from Australia I have quite a large sample set to draw from. Please note, my sample set doesn't need to be infinite to draw observations from.

            My observations as GENERLISATIONS, not exclusive cases are that generally it's more prevalent and culturally acceptable to rip your workers off in Asian cultures than in traditional Australian culture.

            Please note I am talking about generlisations, not ALL CASES. also please note I'm well aware of Asian countries that can be seen as exceptions (Japan and Taiwan or significantly more procedurally driven in terms of employment) all of this doesn't make the above commenters untrue.

            There seems to be a bizzare auto reflex getting baked into people now that doesn't allow for discussion of anything negative related to outside cultures within Australia which is very dangerous as it stops us being able to effectively deal with real problems and real issues. It instantly becomes what about isms and deflections rather than a discussion of the actual observations.

            I'm open to be proven wrong

            • -1

              @slipstreamexpress:

              My observations as GENERLISATIONS, not exclusive cases are that generally it's more prevalent and culturally acceptable to rip your workers off in Asian cultures than in traditional Australian culture.

              You do realise that I wasn't saying it was culturally acceptable here, right? My point was that it happens here too. OP was saying he believes it's a race and cultural issue, I'm saying there are cases where White people also rip each other off, so therefore it isn't a race thing.

              It instantly becomes what about isms and deflections rather than a discussion of the actual observations.

              So me stating that restaurants ripping off their workers is also something happens here is a "whataboutism"? Not my intention, I'm trying to spread something that is a fact, just like you claim you're doing.

              Not once did I actually say it happens more here, I was simply saying this is happens in Australia too.

    • +2

      No issue with calling this out.

      100%. From my personal experience, there certainly is a cultural thing to it.
      I work in IT industry and have seen a significant difference on how people management, trust and other matters are handled when your project / engineering manager has x/y/z/ cultural background.

      • +3

        The Indian caste system definitely plays a roll between different ethnic groups in the workplace. IT is a big one. I've seen the same happen between Toll delivery drivers going to businesses to deliver goods and behave like they're higher up than the Indians at the business.

    • It's true

    • Exactly right!

  • +4

    No matter who owns it, if you don't like the place, why work there?

    • +2

      So he has something to bitch about on ozb.

  • +11

    There are exploitative d!ckheads wherever you go, so nothing to do with races. I started working at very young age. Came across multiple and very diversity employer (Boss) such as Aussie, Indian, Chinese, Greece, Vietnamese, US born Aussie, UK born Aussie, Hong Kong born Aussie…

    But I also came across heaps of good and kind people (the race I mentioned above). In the end of the day, good or bad is heavily influenced by family education, school education and social education.

    • +1

      such as Aussie, Indian, Chinese, Greece, Vietnamese, US born Aussie, UK born Aussie, Hong Kong born Aussie…

      One of these is a country, not a person.

      • +1

        to the negger:

        Greece

    • -1

      US born Aussie = Yank

      UK born Aussie = Pom

      Hong Kong born Aussie = Expat if white, Chinese otherwise

      • +21

        Mainland is west Taiwan, I heard

      • +3

        Nope. Taiwan is the real China.

    • +1

      Completely uncontroversially, I have heard!

  • +1

    Btw it didn't click the first time but I think you were comparing Taiwanese to Chinese people? And making a point that you don't believe Taiwanese are exploitative like Chinese? Maybe the rest of China should follow that part of China 🤣

  • +2

    TL.DR version required

    • +2

      Chinese people exploitative and stingy. /OP sad.

      • China : PooPoo!!

  • +1

    Classic Australian tall poppy syndrome

    You just don't respect the grind

  • +7

    I stopped drinking at Chinese pubs.

    I prefer to Taiwan on.

  • +4

    You know what is great about Australia ? You can choose who to work for, stop working for exploitative businesses.

  • +1

    Appending

    this is not a offense to all Chinese and Asian and I just want to point out that not all the Chinese and Asian business are like this, but quite a decent amount of the Chinese business are always exploiting employees wage.

    Doesn't necessarily get you off the hook. I've worked with south Africans, Australians, Chinese, Malay and guess who was the only workplace that never paid me my Superannuation for a 3 year period…
    The South Africans.

    The Malays and Chinese both looked after me well during my first job, paying me well over the minimum wage as well as feeding me incredibly well.

    Everywhere there are people looking to get 1 up, just look at the Indian families taking advantage of nannys

    • were they black or white south africans?

      • White.

        • +1

          "Kesh is Keng!

          "Superannuation? What's that?"
          "Oh yea, no it's okay. I paid your Super into ma superannuation, its all good"

        • Where you paid officially or cash? Where you a contractor or permanent? And how did it take 3 years to find this out? I thought the ATO tracked this or was it pre all the compliance.

  • +2

    let me guess, they gave you cash in hand? so little to no tax for you.

    still complaining?

  • +1

    Happens in all cultures unfortunately.

    Also happens because these people can't get the fat government contracts. If you had really good English and able to splash the cash you can get in on the government contract rorts. Building carparks not needed, women's change rooms in male sports clubs, selling NDIS a chair for $1k after buying it at Bunnings for $100.

  • -2

    This is how Xi Jin Ping instilled to chinese people the aggresive approach how to be effective business-minded individuals.

    • Yup, CCp banned religions.. ie no belief system except what they ram down their throats… their god is now the CCP and money….one of chinas biggest manufacturing areas happens to be the worlds biggest producer of fake merchandise…cash first….Google and youtube search "gutter oil"… it will change your life

      gutter oil
      https://youtu.be/XWUDrZcdhg0?si=ceCYtozNB-DwTn8Q
      fake youtubers
      https://youtu.be/5ZhgYT6ipZU?si=D-6-p6pPqWKfHdmF
      fake foods
      https://youtu.be/iJO4jOkF64I?si=wzjAdPxUuO6Yvlsi

        • Agreed!

          Probably just as bad as real meat

          "Eating processed meat increases your risk of bowel and stomach cancer. Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork, has been classified as a Group 2A carcinogen which means it probably causes cancer."

          • @netjock: I take cancer councils words with a grain of salt.

            our ancestors ate real meat real food and probably none of todays ultra processed foods (vegetable oils, emulsifiers artificial sweeteners etc). if real meat was bad, I don't think any of us (our parents, grand parents, great grand) would exist today because eating the wrong stuff really does kill you off slowly.

            • @NEGATIVEVIBESONLY: I hope you only take a grain of salt because that can also contribute to bad health.

              Our parents also didn't have internet. Maybe the internet is killing us. Maybe if you go offline you might live longer.

              I do like how people like to believe what they like to believe and when someone pokes something out to balance the argument suddenly it is all wrong.

            • @NEGATIVEVIBESONLY:

              I take cancer councils words with a grain of salt.

              Probably should reduce salt intact also.

    • -1

      Some friends told me the same thing, they noticed this about their Chinese friends.

      No religion so the old moral compass they had was the CCP and the society they grew up in.

      1st rule was, it’s ok to steal from the boss, they are criminals.

      2nd rule was, it’s ok to steal from foreigners, they are criminals.

      • That's why they keep stealing proprietary / patented inventions and call them their own, they don't see themselves as criminals, pretty soon Tesla will be out of business…

      • +1

        Right, and religious ppl don’t rip off ppl.

        Ffs.

        • But Judas money is a different kind of money

      • +1

        If you steal from the CCP you're a criminal and end up with a bullet to the back of the head

      • oh yes tell me more about how well religious people look after the rest of us, starting with the young boys

  • I guess it comes down to the laws of the country. There's not much we can do about what's going on in China or Twn.

    I think it's not appropriate to relate a race with that. Different countries operate in different ways. If a person moves from one country to another, then they follow the laws of the new country.

    • +2

      "Should" follow the laws of the new country.

    • Obviously OP is from tw and has a bone to pick already with chinese people, and filters everything they see through those lenses

  • chinese small businesses, too bad the fwo does nothing

  • +7

    You must be new. What you’re talking about happens in abundance in the hospitality biz regardless of the racial background of the owner.

    Source : me working while studying for a South African, Aussie and a Greek all 3 of em had dodgy cash arrangements with some of the staff.

    Ironically my first full time salary job with contract and super and all was a business owned by a Chinese/Malay.

    • +3

      Worked in Aussie-owned fish and chip shops when I first came to Australia. All cash in hand, wages near award, no breaks, no contract, no super. It's just how these small businesses eke out extra money on $15 meals when all the other input costs are so high.

      If OP is an immigrant from an Asian country, they may be more inclined to work in Asian businesses and see the same thing there, and therefore assume it's an Asian thing.

  • I didn't even know probation pay was a thing. Why not just hire you as a casual if getting rid of you was so important.

    • It's really not and mostly used to "justify" to underpay someone

      Technically that are casual but underpaid casual and even without super with cashies

  • +2

    Second this. I had worked for big chinese Telco here in Australia and some of the key highlight of exploitation are
    - Minimum of 9 hrs/day is expected otherwise you are considered lazy.
    - Horrible travel policy for which you have to pay for flight, accomodation and food from your personal account and they reimburse later (2-3 months for money to come through).
    - From their point of view, meetings are unproductive and they arrange meeting at either start of day or end (8:00 or 5:00).

    Karma had bitten that company hard by government banning their network rollout.

    • Name?

      • The details match Huawei. I knew some people there and did some work with them. Didn’t. Seem all that different to Cisco from the outside.

        • Reminds me of my time doing Telco work. Optus would have local AU support but use Huawei gear for everything enterprise direct from China. While Telstra Global was using Cisco gear from Hong Kong and had Indian support teams. Both going into government locations.

          Always felt like it was a major security oversight after the Huawei 5G fiasco.

    • Regarding 9 hr days: This kind of thing is the norm in Asian cultures. Even for immigrants from the West, work culture in Australia can seem very lazy because work/life balance is taken more seriously here.

      Think of how Australians view the French work culture, as demonstrated here for example. The perception of Australia with it's tea breaks, mandatory meal breaks and knocking off on time most days is similar for outsiders.

      • -1

        8am or 8:30 to 5:30 or 6pm being the actual hours worked is completely unremarkable in any Aussie telco or tech company.
        Highly likely to answer some email at home later too, unless you are in a very junior role.

    • No half day Saturday and refund of 2 weeks of annual leave because you only get 2 weeks in Asia (same as the USA, that they can agree on)?

  • +2

    My Chinese and Indian friends always tell me they will never work for Chinese and Indian business owners. Same like buying a car, they will never buy a chinese or indian car. Although that is kinda changing because of BYD and MG.

    • And don't forget Tesla is made in China. But build quality has improved over the American crap

    • Although that is kinda changing because of BYD and MG.

      They don't argue with money

  • +1

    Question for OP, why do you work for Chinese business if you know they are dodgy? Stop working for them and then you will be fine in Australia. I agree with you they are dodgy hence I tried my best not to avoid their business as much as I can. But they are not the only ones who are dodgy to be honest so be "street-smart".

    • Agreed, many business take advantage of workers that can't speak English/have the wrong visa so they underpay them illegally because those workers can't get work elsewhere. If you are a fluent English speaking citizen, why on earth would you work for an employer that pays you an illegally low wage? Just move onto greener pastures.

  • Trying to avoid tax… typical :)

  • Some demographics are stuck in their "old ways". Sure I've worked for different companies run by different demographics including Aussie businesses and they were dodgy as can be no matter where they came from.

    But I can sympathise with you after working for a few ethnic businesses and yes, I was scammed out of pay and super more than working for an Aussie business as you put it so I avoided those businesses and would try for Aussie run outfits.

    In conclusion I just ended up being really stringent when interviewing employers which I suggest you also do in future,

  • +6

    well i have a small business, but i am not chinese, to answer your question on why we employers can be exploitative etc, its because every dollar we manage not to give you, it goes to me, and i like my hookers and drugs

    • Is it a brothel?

    • I’ve had bosses that act like if you work too slow or are a minute late from lunch you are stealing from their pockets. But they have no problem stealing from their workers pockets by not paying super, or convincing staff to give up their paid breaks, etc.

      I think the best small businesses to work for are the ones where the owner doesn’t hang around like a bad smell. Where your manager is a paid employee and not a profit sharing participant.

  • +3

    It is often non sensical to generalise from your very small personal experience to an overall conclusion.

  • +2

    To understand this, you have to understand chinese culture. Their beliefs is that wealth and health is number one. Wealth especially in the amount of money/assets, not in luxury of life. Some of their gods are pictures to be fat, happy, with lots of money.

    Western culture is different, they believe in happiness of the moment.

    For example, a chinese who has two properties, would try to live in the cheaper uglier property to maximise income. Westerners are the opposite.

    Another example, chinese would choose to eat and drink healthily even though it taste disgusting. Westerners would eat whatever is nice. If you go to chinese health store, you will be amazed with the stuff they try and believe can cure.

    This is a generalisation, of course not all is like that.

    • You forgot ordering from the daily specials because it's cheaper

      Also greedy because some countries don't have national healthcare and every dollar counts if they are sick to take care of themselves

    • Hello Kweichou Moutai wants to speak with you. :3

    • This reason also why I believe China will never go to war unless definitely profitable. Unlike USA, They just want to be rich, they don’t want the power. Although they might go to war for Taiwan or Hong kong, but to go to war to help Russia or Nk is unthinkable because there is no profit there.

  • How sanitary was the restaurant?

  • Wait till our boi discovers mainlander chinese business

  • I had a job for 2-3 years where I wasn't offered a contract despite being told otherwise several times.

    Anyway when it came time to look for another job, they asked me to serve my notice period but I reminded them there was no contract. They ended up finding a replacement in time so it wasn't an issue but I'm just saying it goes both ways.

    No, the people I dealt with were not chinese/asian

  • +1

    look at a bigger picture, the entire global south missed the chance to (profanity) around commit thorough genocide as well as 'establish' great new countries, hence they had to resort other ways to thrive, survive and revive, Chinese chose to work hard, copy, steal exploit themselves with endless 996 or whatever you want to embellish them in your own creative 'non racist' way, Indians chose to mass migrate and blend well into the west, Muslim world tends to shift population into the west and no one has the right to blame just as an average western liberal has no right to complain about the foundations of the new world nations they now reside in, I mean what are you going to do other than renaming some public holidays? African world, well they are still figuring out a way of how to follow the fellow global south colour cousins to flourish, time will show you a more complete image bit by bit decade by decade, are we at some tipping point of turning the table between the global south and the west, (profanity) knows but next time, if you happen to run into some dodge local chinese business, try to play this little civilization game in your head, maybe you will feel less resentful toward certain cultures but even if it aggravates, just remember we are all humans, we actually share more in common than you ever want to realize.

    looking back into history there are lots interesting patterns and loops, for example, silk production technology was stolen from China into the rest of the world, Germany was, at a point, a laughing stock of copying British products, then the Japanese, now again the Chinese, it all comes around, China was so content with herself until some (profanity) from the west kicked on the door with modern weaponries, early Ming dynasty was ahead of the rest of the world on voyaging, but they only promoted the trade route instead of going wild with unbridled ambition, guess they were just too soft and too uncivilized to realize the potentials of continents discoveries and genocide practise and global meddling, resulting in the eternal suffering of running shady business and being labelled by some kind strangers on some random corner of the Internet, but time will tell you that we are all (profanity) in the end.

    • You need more full stops in your life

  • +1

    my head hurts from deciphering this post…any bargains for panadol?

  • +1

    It's very simple, you have a choice.

  • Same reason as why there are so many lebanese criminals, why so many indian smell and why Africans are so lazy I’d say. Of course no disrespect to anyone and those conclusions all come from personal observation and experience

    • Chinese people are so frugal in general. You try getting $1 out of them. Virtually impossible.
      If you need two serviettes from them when buying food or drink, god forbid - you will only get one - if you are lucky.

    • I think you dropped this /s

  • +1

    Sounds like one of those I'm not trying to be racist but….

  • On the flip side. My high school aged nephew works at a mobile phone repair shop which is Asian owned. He gets paid cash in hand at a net rate which is higher then award and higher then his mates gets working at McDonald's.

    • Cash in hand jobs might be ideal for some but it can allow people to be exploited - which isn't good.

  • In, not at, mate; in - at's at, and that's that.

    Lament the subtlety of language faculty.

  • It's up to you to report these businesses and have them fined for wage theft.
    I only read last week that a Vietnamese resturant in South Australia were underpaying their staff by $400k.
    Small businesses try and get away with it but it's wage theft and by not paying workers their proper hourly rate, super and benefits such as sick days and annual leave entitlements.
    I would avoid working for these businesses who don't issue proper payslips or proper pay.
    If they don't have anyone working for them in accounts and payroll, then avoid them.

  • +1

    I love how so many people go completely off topic until after 50 or so posts. Seriously folks stick to the question or go somewhere else for your convoluted commentary.

    So back to the real question. Yes Chinese companies act like shite because that’s how they must operate in China - they are exploitative, obsessive, force people to work crazy hours because that’s the only way they know how to succeed. They can’t innovate, don’t invest in technology or process improvement because labour is so cheap. If they face issues, they throw labour at it, work them to death and copy their competitors. As there are no labour laws in China, they get away with it. When they come to Australia, they import the same mentality.

    I had the misfortune of working for a global Chinese company and my experience was mind boggling. One example is the Australian ceo of a major Chinese car brand being made to stand in the corner for a day because he had an argument with the Chinese manager!

    No wonder so many Chinese are just “lying flat” and not even bothering to put in any effort at work. You get abused if you make mistakes and fined a percentage of your salary - so why stick your neck out and take risks? It’s better just to sit back, do as you’re told and watch WeChat vids all day, everyday. So if you are considering working for a Chinese company - please just don’t do it.

    • Which EV company is this, with the shamed Aussie CEO.

      I heard about the lying flat remix, let it rot. That's even more serious

Login or Join to leave a comment