Get it right -- no such thing as off-in-lieu!

Had a heated exchange of opinions with C while on the way to HQ on Monday afternoon. I asked him on the coy's policies on signing on cleaners on 5-day week, and he said i shouldn't have done that. In the end, while going up the office carpark ramp, he asked me if he would have to pay cleaners for the 4-month maternity leave? Of course not! This is only for management staff, ok!

So once we reached HQ, we both headed straight for the HR manager, CJ. He tried to fudge a bit and initially said we should just let them sign a 5.5 contract and take it as giving them extra off. I asked him what would happen if they were to fall at home on a Saturday? How would the medical cover them? I'm not going to tear up leave forms every Monday once they come back safely on Monday mornings! Hmmm... ya, you got a point. Better sign 5-day week. kns...

Then i went in for the first thrust. This Friday is a PH. So those on 5-day week would not be working on Sat. Would payroll then deduct their salary?
Wait wait, call F in. F!!!
We don't pay 5-day work week, ok? Put 5.5!
But the medical cannot cover like this. No choice got to put 5-day, so Sat is off.
Is it? *angry* ok la, ok la. Then 5-day la.
Then next Sat how? Its PH you know.
PH then PH la! Off on the PH lor!
The link you sent me this morning? If PH falls on your off, the employee is entitled to a day's salary or off-in-lieu. So we give them off or pay them one day's salary?
Get this right *finger pointing at me* -- our company doesn't practice encashment of leave. What off-in-lieu they want? Already off on Sat what! Anyway they're not so clever one la. Don't go and bother about them!
Err... cannot say that. This particular cleaner is very smart and knows her rights.
Aiya, just tell her we already give her 5-day week, so actually she owes the company 2 working days. What extra off she wants! Haiya, if she wants then i will only add it to the leave entitlement. She can only take it after she is confirmed. But remember this, the company will NOT pay one day's salary.
Add to the leave entitlement? For now its easy to remember cos all same commencement. Next time who will remember the additional days? Payroll? (that's F's dept) HR? Or site? This year has a lot of such you know!
Of course its you la! Leave form you fill in for her la!

After that, F stormed off. Think the boss' daughter wasn't very happy with me especially after i had indicated that i wanted to leave. C & i stayed back to chat with CJ, and when we grumbled about it and C asked about the maternity leave rights, CJ corrected him and told him all are entitled regardless of management or cleaners. C then said he wants to fight etc, and in the end, we harped on working hours. CJ then played his trump card -- our letter of appointment only indicates our working hours. But we are expected to stay back until the job is completed.

Bloody hell!!! So i have to sell my life to the company? For what!!! I get the same salary as before, i get to do 6 people's worth of work at my site, i got to be admin for the other south contract, and i get 60-hour work week!

Is it worth it? big seed told me of a possible piece of good news, but no call yet. :( please call please call please call... I can't take it anymore! to resign now or not? This is a crappy work life. No balance at all. I get to slog such long hours and days for F to work less than 44 hours. In the end, who benefits? Not me...