logo
CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Is there a formula to achieve wellness?

CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Is there a formula to achieve wellness?

CNA5 hours ago

CNA938 Rewind - The Wellness Hour - Is there a formula to achieve wellness?
What does it take to build Southeast Asia's top collagen drink brand — and can a wellness drink really change how you feel, look, and live? Cheryl Goh finds out from Chong Kawee, the visionary entrepreneur behind Kino Biotech Group, Kinofy.
18 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Salary delays and unpaid work – what can employees do?
Multiple employees of TechTV Network, a media and events company, are facing issues of unpaid wages, missing CPF contributions and persistent excuses from their employer. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman look at the recourse for employees in this situation. They chat to Dr Yvonne Kong-Ho, who is a career coach and workforce developer.
16 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Iran-Israel truce: Possibility of a violation and what would Trump do?
A truce appears to have taken hold between Israel and Iran, despite initial violations by both sides. Meanwhile, a preliminary US intelligence assessment says the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities may have set back Tehran's programme by only a matter of months. What is the possibility of another ceasefire violation and what would US President Donald Trump do in response? Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman chat with Professor Lawrence Rubin from the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Institute of Technology to find out.
15 mins
CNA938 Rewind - Training Employment Pass under scrutiny following alleged misuse
The Training Employment Pass has come under scrutiny of late, following allegations of misuse. Errant employers and agents have for years attempted to illegally bring in foreign workers for rank-and-file roles under the TEP. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman chat to Jaya Dass, APAC Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise to look at what can be done to curb this misuse.
14 mins

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Local operators need to step up': Mainland Chinese F&B brands in S'pore praised for ‘top-notch' service
'Local operators need to step up': Mainland Chinese F&B brands in S'pore praised for ‘top-notch' service

Independent Singapore

timean hour ago

  • Independent Singapore

'Local operators need to step up': Mainland Chinese F&B brands in S'pore praised for ‘top-notch' service

SINGAPORE: Singapore's commercial rental costs and the closure of several food and beverage outlets have been prompting debate online. While local operators reportedly point to the growing presence of mainland Chinese brands in the city-state, many netizens say these businesses are winning over locals because they offer 'top-notch' customer service. One commenter even said, 'Local operators need to step up.' This followed a Channel News Asia (CNA) report in which several local businessmen said they believe the entry of mainland Chinese retailers has raised rents in the city-state. Andy Hoon, chairman of an informal group of local businessmen, Bosses Network, said some of his contacts from China believe they need to offer higher rent to win bids for commercial spaces in Singapore. He noted that they view the city-state as a 'stepping stone' to the rest of the market in the region. However, Hunan home-style cuisine chain Nong Geng Ji — which operates over 100 outlets in China — denied such 'aggressive real estate tactics'. 'We firmly believe that winning customers' loyalty must be grounded in the exceptional quality of our ingredients and the authenticity of our flavours,' a spokesperson said. Singapore Polytechnic's business school lecturer Ernest Tan also noted that Chinese-style service begins even before food is ordered. 'From start to end, they take care of you. You don't feel the wait is too long — you can have unlimited snacks, you can have water,' he said — a model that has been brought into the city-state and noticed by locals. Mr Hoon added that Chinese brands often provide 'endless' appetisers, ice cream and other perks. 'Singaporean businessmen need to counter [that],' he said. Netizens echoed similar sentiments, with one commenter pointing out, 'No other non-China brands do it.' He said, 'A few days ago, we were making noise that we weren't even served plain water,' referring to the free-flow tap water petition by Singapore General Hospital consultant Dr Yee Yucai, which was slammed by a restaurateur as a ' personal dining gripe '. Another shared that some local businesses offer 'overpriced food items' and are 'very stingy', charging extra for water and wet wipes, even though they already include service charges and employ staff who are slow or unfriendly. In contrast, she said Chinese chains have friendlier staff, faster service, and perks like unlimited free rice, with some not even having a service charge. 'As much as I would like to support some local businesses, I, as a consumer, find myself gravitating towards some of these Chinese restaurants which offer more value for money,' she added. Another commenter added that Vietnamese and Thai restaurants also provide more generous portions of real protein than local brands, which is why he prefers them. Meanwhile, one remarked, 'It's supply and demand. Singaporeans always want to try new food. Overseas big brands capitalise on this, and they move in fast and furious. Despite paying higher rentals, they will still be profitable because everyone wants to try the new cuisine. This creates long queues, and like any typical Singaporean mentality, a long queue means good food, [so they] join the queue.' /TISG See also Pandemic delays arrival of the young wolves of Wall Street Read also: 'Retailers, hawkers and restaurants need to survive' — KF Seetoh says Urban Hawker NYC costs less to run than Orchard Road, MBS food halls

‘Is this normal?' SG jobseeker puzzled after SME asks for payslip and verbal commitment without written offer
‘Is this normal?' SG jobseeker puzzled after SME asks for payslip and verbal commitment without written offer

Independent Singapore

time2 hours ago

  • Independent Singapore

‘Is this normal?' SG jobseeker puzzled after SME asks for payslip and verbal commitment without written offer

SINGAPORE: A jobseeker recently shared on Reddit that he had a strange and uncomfortable experience during the hiring process with a local SME. In a post on the r/askSingapore forum on Wednesday (Jun 25), the jobseeker said the company asked him to bring his payslip to the very first interview, which already felt like a 'red flag.' During the interview, the hiring manager also mentioned that overtime was 'very normal' in their company, which added to his concerns. But the biggest surprise came after the interview. The HR representative told the jobseeker that if another company offered him a higher salary, the SME would not proceed with the hiring. They also said that if he wanted a written offer, he would need to 'verbally commit' first and reject all other job opportunities he was considering. The jobseeker found this unreasonable and explained that he could not make a decision based on just a verbal offer, especially when he had not seen the full contract. He also mentioned that at that point, he still had no information about things like leave, benefits, or working hours. In response, HR simply told him that 'the leaves and benefits are all normal' and tried to move on. Eventually, HR agreed to send the written offer. But three weeks have passed and the candidate has yet to receive any update. Puzzled by the experience, he asked other locals in the forum, 'Is this normal with SME companies in Singapore? Does anyone have any SME experiences to share?' 'Go find something better, please.' In the comments, most users agreed with the jobseeker and said the company was a 'huge red flag.' Many felt it was totally unreasonable to ask for a payslip during the first interview, let alone expect someone to commit without even seeing a proper offer. A lot of people told him to just move on and find a better employer. One person wrote, 'Red flag! And it's just verbal offer, I ever encounter before. Then they ghosted me. There's no point waiting for them, just keep sending resume and attend interviews.' Another commented, 'Move on. They want to hide information and make their hiring process more tedious, that's their problem.' A third added, 'LOL. Haven't even started work and they are already saying OT is very normal? Someone trying to gaslight you. What SME is this? Very good pay or prospects? If no, then who do they think they are? Go find something better please.' It's worth noting that an individual is only considered an employee after signing a contract of service. Also, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), if someone decides not to turn up on their first day of work, they should inform the employer as soon as possible and try to resolve the matter politely by explaining the reason if they can. In such cases, the employer is not allowed to claim notice pay or any compensation under the Employment Claims Act, since there is no official employment relationship yet. Read also: Man questions if he's being exploited after becoming a 'one-man marketing team' for five brands Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store