CNA938 Rewind - #TalkBack: As wages increase by 3.2 percent in 2024 (MOM survey), are you earning enough in 2025?
Wages in Singapore have risen at the fastest pace since the Covid-19 pandemic. It rose 3.2 per cent last year, up from 0.4 in 2023. Lance Alexander and Daniel Martin spoke further with Roger Loo, Executive Director and Head of Management Consulting, BDO Singapore.
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CNA
33 minutes ago
- CNA
Commentary: Is the line between passion and overwork blurred in F&B?
SINGAPORE: In a recent CNA interview, Dennis Lim, owner of The Emerald Bakery, reflects on his life's work. The 55-year-old baker endures "pain in every joint" throughout 15- or 16-hour shifts. Though he says baking is about perseverance and endurance, he is clearly passionate about his craft. We see it in his hands, deformed by severe arthritis yet still shaping each loaf of bread. We hear it in his cheery optimism – despite losing mobility in two fingers on one hand, he quips that he can still use the other three. His grit is undeniably moving, yet a quiet brutality underpins the clip. An employee describes how Mr Lim pushes through arthritis flare-ups; his wife recalls managing pregnancy alone while he was consumed by work. It raises a difficult question: Have we normalised – and even glorified – extreme sacrifice in Singapore's food and beverage (F&B) industry? And at what cost? THE CULT OF OVERWORK There's no doubt that resilience is essential in a professional kitchen. However, when enduring hardship becomes the main measure of passion, it breeds a culture where overwork is expected and valorised. When I worked as a cook in Singapore, a common refrain I heard was: 'Unless you physically can't get out of bed, you have to show up.' Anything less was seen as lacking commitment to the craft and your team. Toxic work culture in F&B often becomes self-perpetuating. Victims of punishing conditions come to see hardship as essential and sometimes become enforcers – expecting newcomers to 'pay their dues' in the same gruelling way. This normalises overwork and discourages challenges to the status quo, turning passion into not just something that is admired, but actively exploited. Marilyn Lee, owner of Wheathead Bakery, shared an encounter with a local restaurateur a few years ago, while she was interviewing for a job: 'When we got to discussing pay, he joked with me about how I 'don't need much because [I'm] passionate, right?'' In Australia, where I've also worked as a cook, stronger labour protections help curb overwork by limiting work hours to 38 hours per week, with mandatory breaks and paid overtime. Robust unions support these standards, promoting healthier work-life balance. This is in contrast to Singapore where many small food businesses lack similar legal protections or union support, leaving workers to navigate unfair conditions alone. Labour laws, however, are only part of the picture. Even with protections in Australia, toxic attitudes can persist. While applying for jobs in Melbourne, I was once invited for a trial shift. When I clarified the expected hours and asked if it would be paid, the chef told me not to come in at all, claiming I lacked passion – despite the fact that unpaid trials are illegal in Australia. It was as though I had somehow sullied the craft by advocating for fair treatment. HOW CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS FUEL OVERWORK F&B workers generally operate under immense pressure, but this is especially acute in Singapore, with sky-high rents and fierce competition. Consumers can also be complicit by expecting convenience, lightning-fast service, and rock-bottom prices – often without understanding what it takes to meet those expectations. These expectations force owners and workers to work longer hours with fewer resources just to keep up, perpetuating a cycle of overwork. Ms Lee said, 'Admittedly, it's difficult because there are almost no margins in F&B … Rent and food costs are at an all-time high and these overheads would seem to F&B owners to be fixed costs. So one variable cost that owners would consider cutting would be labour cost, which puts employees at a disadvantage.' While not all consumers can afford to pay more, the broader culture of undervaluing labour and having impossibly high standards remains a significant problem. LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS AND A WAY FORWARD Romanticising overwork echoes the Japanese shokunin ethos – the craftsman who might spend a year sweeping the floor before being allowed to touch the rice. There is beauty in such devotion. For previous generations, long hours, perseverance and sacrifice were prized as signs of loyalty and character. But today, this mindset risks driving away new talent in Singapore's F&B scene, as many young workers refuse to burn out early. Gen Z, especially, with its stronger emphasis on mental health and work-life balance, is increasingly unwilling to accept the grind mentality endemic in F&B. Recent reports show a trend of Gen Z workers avoiding F&B roles – a warning that the old virtue of 'chi ku', or 'swallowing bitterness', is losing its grip. Without reform, the industry faces a growing talent shortage as this generation rejects sacrificing well-being for their careers. As a counter to overwork culture, some businesses are showing that change is possible. Take Candlenut, run by my former boss, Malcolm Lee. When he opened the restaurant in 2010, he endured long hours, sometimes even sleeping on-site just to keep things running. By 2016, the restaurant broke even and earned a Michelin star, but the success came at a steep personal cost, including the strain on his personal relationships. Troubled by the emotional toll, Mr Lee restructured operations: Candlenut now offers a four-day workweek and guarantees staff a daily, uninterrupted meal break. His mindset shift reflects an emerging industry trend: Mental health matters, and productivity should not come at the expense of well-being. At Wheathead, Ms Lee protects her employees from unfair expectations, emphasising that the bakery is a 'second home' for her team. On Wheathead's Instagram account, she wrote, 'We will not stand for rude or entitled behavior when anyone steps into our space.' In my interview with her, she explained that despite industry pressures, 'it is ultimately up to F&B businesses to do better by their employees.' Meaningful change demands healthier work schedules, more realistic consumer expectations, and industry-wide support for mental health and fair labour standards. But equally important is reshaping the narrative around passion and reimagining what a good life looks like: One defined not solely by work – not even passionate work – but also by the other good things in life. Since moving to the Netherlands, I've noticed a stark contrast in how people approach work, even when they deeply enjoy what they do. Many intentionally work fewer hours, often 30 a week, to preserve time for their families, hobbies and rest. This cultural norm of balance stands in sharp contrast to the Singaporean mindset, where work often defines identity and worth. It shows that another way is possible: one where passion can coexist with well-being, and where fulfillment is found not just in what we do – but in how we live.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Singapore can deliver and thrive in a fragmented global economy: Morgan Stanley analysts
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The analysts say Singapore has a proven track record of adapting to a changing global economic environment. SINGAPORE - As investors look in bewilderment at the fast-deteriorating global economic landscape under US President Donald Trump's onslaught on globalisation, some analysts are looking to Singapore as one of the few safe havens worldwide. One of these analysts is Mr Derrick Kam, a Singapore-based Asia economist at US investment bank Morgan Stanley who believes the Republic is one of the few that offers more visibility on growth potential, political stability and governance quality. He believes that Singapore has a proven track record of making policies needed to adapt to a changing global economic environment. 'Where Singapore excels is sort of being able to spot these global trends and try to navigate through them... and then get ahead of them,' he said in an interview with The Straits Times, along with the bank's head of Asean research Nick Lord. Both the analysts recently co-authored a research report, Singapore At 60: Unlocking Wealth Creation, which tells investors that 'now is the time to build exposure to this dynamic and enterprising market'. The report references post-independence Singapore turning 60 in 2025. The report highlights the various initiatives Singapore has launched in recent years – to reinforce its hub industries and implement emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) to boost productivity – which could see its household net assets almost doubling to reach US$4 trillion (S$5.13 trillion) by 2030. Morgan Stanley sees the surge in household net assets as a tangible sign of real wealth creation – the process of growing assets and financial resources over time to achieve financial security and independence. The bank believes that wealth creation will be an essential part of the process by which developed economies such as Singapore will support their populations and mitigate risks inherent in a multipolar world, with an ageing population, changing patterns of energy production and consumption, and spread of new technologies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 55,000 BTO units to be launched from 2025 to 2027, will help moderate HDB resale prices: Minister Singapore First voluntary redevelopment projects for HDB flats likely to be launched in first half of 2030s Singapore Israel's plan to step up Gaza offensive dangerous and unacceptable: MFA Singapore Over 118,000 speeding violations in first half of 2025; situation shows no signs of improvement: TP Singapore Four men arrested after Bukit Timah police op believed to be linked to housebreaking syndicates Singapore 'It's so close': Crowds turn up for Red Lions, mobile column at National Day heartland celebrations Singapore 'We could feel the heat from our house': Car catches fire in Bidadari area Singapore 65-year-old ice cream man helps spread smiles with cool treats in Income giveaway 'The next step forward, we believe, will be wealth creation – building upon Singapore's established brand and economic success to further grow the country's capital and global financial standing,' the Morgan Stanley analysts said in the report. The report highlights prospects of the Singapore stock market after the launch earlier in 2025 of a series of measures by the Equities Market Review Group, established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Morgan Stanley believes the market reforms – including a $5 billion Equity Market Development Programme announced in February – could drive up return on equities and other market multiples and lead to a doubling of stock market capitalisation by 2030. On hub industries, Morgan Stanley expects Singapore to reinforce its energy hub by also becoming a major trading centre for liquefied natural gas and carbon trading as the world moves from fossil fuels to renewables. Already home to 400 global traders that transact 20 per cent of the world's energy and metals trade, Singapore could see services related to carbon trading alone generate as much as US$5.6 billion in gross value to its economy by 2050, according to the Economic Development Board's estimates. Singapore is also the world's third-largest foreign exchange (FX) trading hub after London and New York, and the biggest in the Asia-Pacific. Almost US$1 trillion of FX is traded in Singapore every day. Morgan Stanley expects that as Asian currencies take a larger share of daily global FX trade, this would make Singapore a more crucial currency trading centre, even if it does not surpass London or New York. The bank believes that Singapore can become a more significant transport and tourism hub as well, with airport capacity expansion projects and technology enhancements supporting its long-term growth goals. The Singapore Tourism Board's 2040 road map targets tourism receipts reaching $50 billion . Changi Airport plans to invest $3 billion to improve services over the next six years. It will also start the construction of Terminal 5 and open it to the public in the mid-2030s. Finally, Singapore – along with Japan and Malaysia – is likely to get a disproportionate amount of investments for new data centres and generative AI investments by the likes of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, GDS and other regional and global hyperscalers. Singapore has 26 subsea cables landing across three sites – one of the highest in Asia – and its domestic infrastructure is set to be upgraded to support 10 gigabits-per-second broadband speeds within the next five years. 'We believe strengthening its leadership position in key hub industries and continuing to adopt technological advancements will yield strong productivity gains for Singapore,' Mr Kam said in the interview. He estimates that AI adoption can potentially help Singapore sustain medium-term gross domestic product growth of around 3 per cent, which would keep Singapore as one of the fastest-growing developed economies in the world. The Morgan Stanley analysts do recognise the risks that can hinder Singapore's progress on these initiatives, but they believe its proactive policymaking will keep it a step ahead of others. The Singapore Government is trying to be as proactive as it can be. Soon after the April 2 launch of Mr Trump's reciprocal tariff policy, the Republic set up the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce to help businesses and workers navigate the immediate uncertainties arising from the US tariffs and related global developments. On Aug 4, it launched an Economic Strategy Review (ESR) to help ensure Singapore thrives in the new global economic landscape. The ESR comprises five committees, each co-chaired by two political office-holders who will be joined by private sector, union and other stakeholders. The committees will engage widely with businesses and workers and other stakeholders and publish their recommendations by mid-2026. Most analysts believe similar initiatives helped the country manage crises in the past, including the more recent Covid-19-induced downturn. Mr Lord said: 'So the question is: Can Singapore adapt more successfully than others? And the track record would suggest it probably can.'
CNA
8 hours ago
- CNA
Around 55,000 BTO flats to be launched between 2025 and 2027
Around 55,000 Build-To-Order flats will be launched in the next two years, a 10 per cent increase from previously expected. The National Development Minister says there are also plans to build more BTO flats that will be ready faster over the next two years. New technlogy will also be used to upkeep public housing flats under the refreshed Home Improvement Programme. Alexandra Anand with more.
