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Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Weekends too short? How Singaporeans feel about a 4-day work week
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user wanted to know how others in Singapore feel about a four-day work week, adding that they personally find that weekends are too short. In a Jun 8 (Sunday) thread on r/askSingapore, u/Adventurous_sushii asked if others on the platform would feel more well-rested if the working week were one day shorter. With the current set-up, having only a two-day weekend is insufficient, since the post author wants ' to rest + do the things I want + catch up on admin and household chores at home.' However, they were uncertain whether others felt the same way, but added that last year, when more three-day weekends allowed them to take Mondays off, they found that they felt 'better mentally' when they returned to work. By far, the top comment is one where a Reddit user wrote, 'Only if it's really a 4-day work week.' In workaholic Singapore, it's not unusual for people to engage in work-related activities even when they're out of the office, such as taking calls, responding to emails, and writing reports. Other countries, meanwhile, such as Australia, have introduced the 'right to disconnect,' which means workers are allowed to let work calls or emails go unanswered. Moreover, employers who breach the law may potentially be subject to fines. In 2020, Member of Parliament Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) called for the government to consider a similar 'Right to Disconnect' legislation. 'Let me reassure critics that I am not calling for rigid laws that specify working hours, nor am I calling for Singaporeans to be less productive, and certainly not for Singapore to be any less competitive,' he said at the time, adding, 'It is simply about ensuring that our workers have protected time to rest.' On Reddit, one commenter wrote, 'I had the arrangement for a 4-day work week, but my customers kept contacting me on the 5th day, and I couldn't ignore it. Ended up returning to a five-day work week.' 'As a teacher, much of my weekends are currently dedicated to marking assignments, doing lesson prep for the following week, and other miscellaneous odds and ends. We had a couple of extra Monday holidays in May, and I can vouch that the extra day has been invaluable in letting me get my work done, while still having more time to myself. The three days don't even need to be back-to-back. Just a little added break from the daily grind would be much appreciated,' another weighed in. 'Totally agree. I feel that life is more balanced with a four-day work week, honestly. With two days of rest, the first day, I would need to spend half a day doing housework and still recovering from the five work days. Sunday is the only actual day I feel like an off day, but yet you think of tomorrow, needing to work again, spoils it all, and being tired again, but if Monday is off, you feel like you got a real full two days to recover,' a commenter added. /TISG Read also: The four-day work week dream
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Clear & upfront pricing at cai fan stalls – CASE rolls out colour-coded labels
I think it would be safe to say that almost every Singaporean has visited a cai fan (economy rice) stall at some point in their life. Those same Singaporeans have also possibly ended up paying much more than expected after choosing their dishes. 'S$10?! But I only ordered 3 dishes!' Well, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) aims to rectify that by introducing colour-coded labels, starting with cai fan stalls run by Koufu. This new pricing scheme is planned to be rolled out to all 77 of Koufu's foodcourts and coffee shops by the end of 2025 as part of CASEs 'Price Transparency for Economical Rice' project. For Koufu's stalls, blue labels are for seafood (S$2.50 per serving), orange for meat (S$1.50 per serving) and green for vegetables (S$1 per serving). There are also white labels for 'premium items' and the prices for those would be handwritten. The new initiative was rolled out on 24 Mar 2025 at Hong Le Mixed Veg Rice Stall at the Koufu food court located in Plantation Plaza in Tengah. Hong Le's other outlets will also have this system in place by mid-April. CASE president Melvin Yong said that it was fairly common to hear consumers complaining about the final price of their cai fan after choosing the items they wanted. 'The dispute often centres on the ambiguity of the prices of the dishes on display. Having colour-coded labels will allow consumers to make informed choices and prevent any potential disputes over prices,' he said. He also said that it was important for consumers to know the prices of what they were buying. In addition, he also hopes that other cai fan operators would work together with CASE to roll out this initiative at their stalls. Operators who are interested in implementing this labelling system can contact CASE to find out more. Taiwan Fan Bao: Taiwanese-style cai fan with saba fish, chicken thigh & $3.50 pork belly buns The post Clear & upfront pricing at cai fan stalls – CASE rolls out colour-coded labels appeared first on
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: Do you think the colour-coded dishes for economy rice will help?
We've heard the stories before – someone buys what seems to be a vegetable dish at an economy rice (or cai fan) store and it's somehow considered a meat dish because there are some specks of minced pork in it. The ambiguity surrounding the price of economy rice dishes has caused some controversy in recent years. A local media outlet, in a recent article, even likened the classification of economy rice dishes as a meat dish to a "miracle", akin to Jesus turning water into wine. Jokes aside, it's an open secret that the reputation of an affordable dish at coffee shops and hawker centres has been marred by inconsistent pricing. YAHOO POLL: Should people be punished for inappropriately handling animals? YAHOO POLL: Do you prefer the wet, cold weather or the hot season? YAHOO POLL: Are you willing to get concert tickets from scalpers? To address the situation, CASE and Koufu Group have teamed up to introduce a colour-coding system for all economy rice stalls under Koufu. The initiative was launched at Hong Le Mixed Veg Rice Stall at the Koufu Food Court at Plantation Plaza on Monday (24 March), by CASE President Melvin Yong and Koufu chief financial officer, Chua Sher Lin, and witnessed by Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Low Yen Ling. All economy rice dishes will be colour-coded to indicate which category they fall under – meat, vegetables, seafood, and premium items – and the price for each category. Premium dishes are priced independently, so each dish will have their price written on the label. This provides greater price transparency for consumers. Yong said, "Having colour-coded labels will allow consumers to make informed choices and prevent any potential disputes over prices." Though this might not stop economy rice stalls from 'transforming' vegetable dishes into meat dishes, at least, we'll know what we're in for. Sounds great, right? Yet, we know that everyone has an opinion that may differ so we want to hear yours: Do you think the colour-coded dishes for economy rice will help? Have your say and take the poll. Related: Hawker culture: 'choping' seats, affordable food define Singapore's beloved tradition Curry Cafe: Secluded HDB void deck eatery with over 60 dishes like curry chicken & $1.20 prata NEA policies help or hinder growth? Michelin Guide nasi lemak hawker's rant sparks netizen debate
