The story of ‘letting go of the boss’ outside working hours in Belgium through the story of a Vietnamese girl

One of the lessons that her boss taught Nga Dong when she lived in Belgium was to cherish the holidays and spend a lot of time for herself, so that she has enough energy to work for a long time.

Nga Dong (27 years old, supply chain manager) is working in a multinational pharmaceutical company with a branch in Belgium. In a conversation with Zing, she talks about life, new experiences and the difference in the workplace in Brussels.

At the end of 2020, I left Paris (France) to Belgium to start a new job.

Like many other girls, I used to dream of living in the most romantic city in the world and really happy here. Although Paris makes me struggle a lot, I still have a bit of attachment when I remember the beautiful sunset on the Seine or the glittering Eiffel Tower in the night.

My destination is the capital Brussels. At first, although I was very excited to explore a new land, the expensive expenses and the pressure of financial self-control still made me ponder.

However, the worries quickly disappeared, giving way to exciting experiences in what is known as the “heart of Europe”.

Practice drinking beer in Brussels

Previously, I had 6 months of internship in Belgium but only visited small cities.

The climate in Brussels is easily uncomfortable when it is cloudy and stormy throughout the second half of the year. I only feel comfortable in spring and summer when the weather is cool and the sky is clear. In particular, every April, blue bell flowers cover the forests, making this place as beautiful as just entering a fairy tale world.

Brussels also has the bustle and hustle typical of central cities. However, this place gives me a more comfortable and secure feeling when in Paris.

In the past, every time I walked down the street, my small body and bold Asian face easily attracted the strange eyes of others. I understand they are just curious, but the feeling of being scrutinized and evaluated is really uncomfortable.

Thinking about independent life in Europe, many people think they have to spend many lonely days, in fact, residents of Brussels are sociable and easy to make friends. As the center of Europe, they are quite hospitable because they are used to communicating with people from many parts of the world.

Besides, the Vietnamese student community here is also crowded. When I have a conversation, I invite people to gather to cook, eat or walk in the park to balance emotions.

One of our hobbies during the summer is enjoying beer. In Brussels, people only sell coffee from morning to before 4pm. From 4pm until late, all coffee shops switch to serving draft beer.

The alcohol intake is quite poor, I mainly drink fruit beer. This beverage is mildly aromatic, often sweetened with cherries, peaches or raspberries.

Boss “catch” rest

Due to working at a multinational company, I do not know the original Belgian office culture. Instead, I have many opportunities to interact and exchange with colleagues from many parts of the world such as the US, France, Germany, England…

When I first started working, it took me a long time to get used to the greeting in the company. Instead of waving or nodding slightly, people often hug and kiss each other on the cheek every morning.

I also followed, but I was shy, so I only did it with close colleagues. When I got used to it, I took the initiative to embrace and greet all employees in the working area to express my friendliness and desire for happy cooperation.

Say no to the 996 culture, my company only works from Monday to Friday before 4pm. The manager often texts and reminds me to go out for a walk instead of burying my head in papers.

Besides, the balance between work and rest time is also paid special attention.

During the period of work from home due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, I tried to schedule a meeting to solve work on Belgium’s national holiday.

This didn’t affect my boss because he was in the UK, but I was still severely reminded.

The manager wants me to cherish the day off, spend a lot of time for myself, so I have enough energy to work for a long time.

I realized that I am a workaholic and always want to stay busy for fear of not catching up with everyone. When I see other young colleagues being praised and promoted faster, I have prolonged stress because of self-doubt about my ability.

After receiving advice from my boss, I learned to respect myself, allocate time to relax and rest appropriately. Thanks to that, I have less anxiety, live more comfortably, and the quality of work has also improved significantly.

Under the new law, effective February 1, federal employees of the Belgian government will not need to answer emails or calls from the agency outside of working hours, except in very special cases. Authorities in the country plan to expand the scope of application to include workers in the private sector.

Petra De Sutter, the minister in charge of public administration, said the law was necessary to deal with a “culture” of employees that think they must always be present when their boss calls, according to the Guardian. This situation tends to increase as many people have to work from home during the Covid-19 epidemic.

Satisfied with the present

At the age of 27, I was financially independent, comfortably living independently in Belgium. A stable income allows me to buy my favorite items and send gifts to my family every Tet holiday. What makes me really proud is that after many years in Europe, I am not too immersed in my work, still maintaining good relationships in Vietnam.

Working at a high intensity, I always try to arrange a lot of time to talk to my parents and boyfriend. Thanks to that, I feel like everyone is still close by, continuously adding love and motivation.

Besides, I am happy to maintain the spirit of optimism and love of life like the first day I came to Europe despite going through many bumps and difficulties.

Especially, thanks to working in the pharmaceutical industry, I want to contribute to improving public health through the supply of drugs and vaccines.

Early next year, a big turning point in my career will come to me. I am very excited because this event opens up many opportunities to unleash the things that are still cherished.

If everything goes according to plan, maybe I will spend time traveling or returning to Vietnam to rest before taking on a new assignment.

According to zingnews.vn