Country: Singapore

Try hard to negotiate for regular hours and to be able to leave on time without feeling guilty. Also make it clear upfront that working on weekends should be an exception and not a norm.

Hi, I been working in Asia for a long time and I find a similiar trend. It is hard to negotiate pay in Asia. Two things come to mind : 1. There is a fixed preception that employees are easily replaced, is a cultural mindset in Asia. It may have come from the fact that it was easy to find someone else to replace you in the past, but with the rapid advancements and growth steps, talent has been hard to find. 2. Loss of face. If you are truly a talent in the company, you may find that it is also difficult to ask for a raise because the boss may feel it is an insult that you are requesting for more. (Especially if he is already paying you more compared to peers in your company but not to your industry.) How to debunk these perception? The only way seems to be 1. Get another offer (from another company) 2. Show your bosses this offer. It works. And if you really like your job and your company, you most likely will get a counter offer. Otherwise, you might just consider moving on.