Anecdotes of “that foreigner who got my job” abound. But as we champion a Singaporean-first hiring approach, perhaps let’s not forget that more often than not, these foreigners are also our colleagues and friends. Every country facing economic lull will have voices questioning the presence of foreigners in the labour market. But unpopular opinion –…
What does a fair and inclusive society, where no one gets left behind, look like? Dignity and appreciation for our lower-wage workers, and support for them to level up and progress. Truth be told, it’s easier said than done… The journey there requires a whole-of-society effort, with support from not just the government, but also…
In a ministerial statement last month, Minister Ong Ye Kung explained why free trade agreements are important to Singapore, and how they have helped Singaporeans reap significant benefits. The same goes for our openness to foreign talent. But, what do PMEs really think of globalisation? Workers of Singapore polled 500 PMEs and the results are as…
As work-from-home (WFH) arrangement continues to dominate working lives — especially those working in offices, care groups have observed spikes in calls seeking help regarding mental health. According to Straits Times, the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)’s mental health helpline reported a 40% increase on 16th May 2021, the day Singapore officially entered Phase 2 (Heightened…
Retail workers account for 3% of the workforce in Singapore. That’s 107,931 workers in the retail industry, out of 3,597,700 employed persons in Singapore. Half of the 361 surveyed retail workers have reported a monthly income of less than $2,300 a month. Retail in Singapore can be split into a few different categories, accounting for…
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Singapore last year, Ms Ong Lay Chern’s “break” from work turned into what seemed like a state of unemployment. “We had initially thought it would be like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and it would blow over in a couple of months. But by June or July, it had been…
It seems like the Huat is real for food delivery companies since Singapore entered this Heightened Alert phase. With the surge in demand for food delivery, many of our food delivery riders have been working extra hard, and some are facing exhaustion. A screenshot of the conversation between a food delivery worker and a kind…
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit everyone hard, especially those in the aviation, hospitality, and F&B sectors. While there is no doubt that these businesses are among some of the hardest-hit sectors, these businesses are not the only groups that are badly impacted. Self-employed persons such as freelancers, private-hire drivers, and taxi drivers are, too, amongst…
As Singapore hunkers down during Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) amidst a fresh wave of community cases, the loved-hated working from home (WFH) arrangement returns. Under the latest advisory for safe management measures issued on May 14, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has mandated working from home as default, and only employees who are unable to…
“For almost 18 months, healthcare workers all over the world have stood in the breach between life and death.” At the opening of the World Health Organization’s (WHO)’s main annual assembly, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the sacrifices made by healthcare workers around the world in this unprecedented pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic,…