Working to earn money to spend on yourself and family is a common thing, but when people work to earn money so that they can continue working is another thing. This trend I've noticed quite some time ago, and I just cannot understand why we actually have to resort to this kind of mentality.
Two or three years back I came across three Jaya Jusco cashiers shopping for shoes in Jaya Jusco itself. I guess they're on their break, or have already finished their shift for the day. While two girls are looking for casual shoes, one girl was looking for work shoes. She said (in malay), "My shoes is in a bad condition already. Wanna get a new working shoes." A cashier in Jaya Jusco can earn about RM600 - RM800, and they wanna spend about RM100 on shoes to work?!
My wife knows very well that the I buy about 3 new work shirts in the past 12 months. And I'm still wearing some work shirts from 2002 and I'm fine with it. I wear the same work shoes everyday, with one back-up at home. I alternate between two set of belts weekly. I have four work pants, and several ties. Am I a cheapskate?! Yes I am! Hahaha... but seriously, who are we trying to impress to spend money on stuff we wear to work?! Our bosses?! So that he/she can say, "hm.... this employee's good. He wears different shirt in the past ten days, as compared to Mr Javalier who wears yellow on Monday, blue on Tuesday, red on Wednesday,... etc, let's give this one a raise!"??
What's worse is peer pressure in a working environment. I'm going to repeat myself here again. Just because you work in the big-5, you have to spend quite a bit of your income on expensive food?! "Executive like us, we better eat in places like Coffee Bean, and not mamak. People will think we are a failure to our company, or that our company is a failure not being able to pay us well." Really, we need to have a tv ad, not only about good consumer behaviour (buying only what you need), but we need to push the ad to purchasing for yourself and your loved ones, NOT for your company. Please lah.
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3 comments:
I like this post. Got me thinking, and you're right lah! I have so many baju kurung and jackets and pants, all in the name of work. It's easier for guys I think since your choice of clothings are limited anyway, for us ladies, it requires a mammoth effort of self discipline to not be temped by all the cute clothes they have on display (although it may not fit my not so cute body, hahaha...) So, it's time for me to channel the moolah spent on my clothes to my old age savings and my children's savings lah ye? Hope to see you and family this weekend!
I agree to the point that girls need more choices in working clothes. I think in Malaysia, baju kurung works for both err... work (no pun intended) and casual. It's office suits like those from Spade and others that should be limited. Well, that's just my opinion.
Aiyoh...I only got like 7 shirts and i've been wearing them since i started work! 4 pants, a pair of shoes, 1 same lousy belt. I totally agree of what you said... i really want to find a job where i can go to work in jeans. so i can throw all my working clothes away.... hehhee...
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