Working five days a week is the norm in Singapore. In fact, it’s quite common for work to spill over into the weekend here. But Muhammad Fadhil Abdul Latiff, 34, received quite the culture shock when he started work in Melbourne.
Almost three months ago, Fadhil and his family relocated to Australia to start a new chapter in their lives.
Moving to a new country would naturally mean different cultures and norms. And apparently over there, “nobody works five times a week” at his workplace.
“When I tell [my colleagues] I work five times a week, people [laugh] at me. They call me a unicorn,” the registered nurse told AsiaOne during our chat.
Making the big call
Given his profession, shift work was almost a given but Fadhil noticed a stark difference between the work culture in Singapore and in Melbourne.
“[Supervisors at work] ask whether you’re comfortable to do night shift and if you can’t, they’ll respect that,” he said.
When asked how this compares to his work experiences in Singapore, Fadhil simply chuckled and kept tight-lipped.
“I’m not painting with a broad brush, but in my [current] company, they have the mentality that ‘I have a life outside work’,” the father of one added.
This has led to some light-hearted jokes at his workplace, where he is seen as a workhorse.
Colleagues would tease him and have given him the title of ‘unicorn’ — for being open to a five-day work week.