Of the several million residents in the Dallas, Texas area nearly 200,000 work near the downtown area. For the typical office worker who works in the downtown area, their day begins quite early. Most workers do not live in the downtown area but live out from the city in suburbs. (Suburbs are smaller cities and towns that connect to the larger Dallas city area. For example, my home is about 34 kilometers from downtown Dallas.)

A worker who lives in my community would need to leave their home around 7:30 am to arrive and be at their desk by 9:00 am. Several of the office managers that I know leave their homes at 6:00 am to arrive at work by 7:00 am. Unfortunately, because the majority of people leave their homes at the same time the traffic on the highway system is very congested. There are often traffic jams each morning and each evening. The typical office worker will clock in around 8:30 or 9:00 am and clock out at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm. They will often take a 1 hour break for lunch around noon time. Each office is different, as is each company, so times fluctuate depending on the company. In Texas there are no laws that mandate breaks for workers. These are simply benefits given to a worker by the company for which he works. However, tradition is that a worker is allowed a 15 minute break in the morning, at least a 30 minute break for lunch, and a 15 minute break in the middle part of the afternoon. Again, this all depends on the company and a worker is wise to negotiate these things at the beginning of their employment.

The typical office worker will drive his or her car from home to work which takes about 45 minutes. Dallas is improving its public trains and buses, but most people still prefer to drive themselves. They arrive at their office and are ready to work by their start time. Many managers will frown upon workers which are not at their desks before time to start. The worker will clock out at the appropriate time and take the same 45 minute drive home in the evening. Most offices are open Monday through Friday and are closed on Saturday and Sunday, the weekend. The average office worker in Dallas makes $16.50 per hour and will work 40 hours per week. (A single person may be able to survive on this salary, but for a family it would be quite difficult.) Most office personnel must be able to work with computers and operate a variety of software applications. Microsoft Office software is the most common and is often required by companies.

Due to the long days that most workers have to work they are very tired upon arriving home in the evening. They look forward to the weekend where they can have some fun and do things with family and friends. Through the years this has given rise to some popular phrases in American culture: “I’m just working for the weekend.” And (T.G.I.F.) which means “Thank, God, it’s Friday.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What is the average working week for American office workers? What is the average working week for Chinese office workers?

2. Are there any popular phrases about the weekend or days off in China?

3. How long is the average commute for workers from their home to their job?

4. Are workers in China expected to arrive early at their stations or offices?

5. Do workers in China receive breaks from work during the day?