One of the greatest culture shocks that many Westerners come across when they start working in China occurs when they notice how many of their Chinese colleagues stay late after work. As a matter of fact, any new Chinese graduates can discover the same culture shock as soon as they enter the workforce.

The Laodong Daily recently reported that a new graduate surnamed Chu complained on WeChat that his colleagues remain in the office even though the workday is over and there is nothing left to do. So he kills time online, despite being eager to get home. His complaint resonated with many of his former university classmates, who also recently started working.

According to an online survey of 208 people conducted by the Laodong Daily, 66.83 percent of the respondents were unwilling to be the first person to leave his or her office after work. Nearly 50 percent said they were afraid that leaving early would give their boss a bad impression or that it would be improper to leave earlier than their colleagues. Only 11.6 percent said they left work on time and were unconcerned with other people's opinions.

As a matter of fact, lingering at the office does nothing for the company or their employees. It is a waste of time for the employees and a waste of resources for the company.

According to the survey results, the major reason that most employees are concerned is the impression they leave on their boss, who decides their salaries and promotions. And staying late makes it seem as if one is working hard.

The source of this practice is the Chinese company's evaluation system, which is largely based on the subjective opinions of supervisors instead of objective facts such as the quality and quantity of one's work.

Many Westerners may wonder why the first person leaving the office will leave bad impression on the Chinese bosses' minds.

There is an old Chinese saying that the first bird gets shot first. Most traditional Chinese try to find a happy medium. Being different from others can be considered discordant or unsocial.

Another reason for the "bad impression" stems from "Eastern jealousy," the unhealthy psychology of Chinese people who cannot stand other people who live an easier life. The first person leaving the office may be seen by colleagues as having little to do, leaving him or her further isolated.

Besides these cultural reasons, the boss's own work style also affects employees. Some bosses prefer going home on time so they can spend more time with their families, while others prefer working overtime so they can make more money for the company. Some driven bosses require their employees to be workaholics as well. Although such a "requirement" is usually an unwritten rule, workers can see it when they receive their year-end bonuses or when other colleagues get promoted ahead of them.

However, it is really hard to say if more employees staying longer at the office can help the company be more successful. After eight hours' work, employees' work quality and efficiency will drop, provided they are actually doing work and not killing time online.

Chinese bosses should encourage their employees to finish their work during regular business hours and go home on time. If there are always many employees lingering in the office after work, the bosses should determine if they do have so much work to finish and consider adjusting their workloads. After all, it should be considered a violation of employees' rights and interests if they must arrive on time but are not allowed to leave on time. 

Young employees who recently joined the workforce should realize that they probably have less work and fewer responsibilities than their more experienced colleagues. They don't need to worry about leaving first, because in the near future they will find that they are the ones who need to stay late.