Latest news with #workconditions
Independent Singapore
17-07-2025
- Independent Singapore
Poly student says she was fired from internship without warning and wasn't paid for a week of work
SINGAPORE: A polytechnic student is seeking help online after she was suddenly fired from her internship without any warning or pay. Sharing her dilemma on Reddit's 'SGexams' forum on Sunday (Jul 13), the Year 3 student shared that she had been interning at a local company for about a week when she was suddenly removed from 'all group chats with no notice.' 'I had worked there for about a week, putting in full hours every day,' she said. 'During that week, the boss made us do OT every day and often arrived late, making us wait around 30 minutes each morning before we could even start.' Concerned about the working conditions, she approached her school lecturer for advice. However, he allegedly dismissed her concerns and told her to just grow up,' saying that this was just 'part of the working life.' Shortly after that conversation, the student found herself cut off from all work communication without any explanation. She said she had tried messaging her supervisor about her pay but has not received any response for more than three weeks. She also mentioned that another intern who was not fired had already been paid, although he had to follow up multiple times to receive it. When she raised the issue of her unpaid wages with her lecturer, he reportedly responded, 'Anyway, the money is a week of work so can't be more than 100 dollars right? So why is it so urgent for you? Have some empathy.' 'I feel like it's my right to ask for pay for the days I put in?' she continued. 'Why is he [my lecturer] downplaying it? It's not even about the money anymore, it's about the principle of the situation, and if it is only S$100, why is it so hard to pay me?' She added that she had asked her lecturer for a copy of her internship contract, as she was considering filing a claim with the Small Claims Tribunal. Unfortunately, he refused to provide it and scolded her for pursuing the matter, suggesting she was making too big a deal out of the situation. 'He refused to send it to me, so I'm not sure how my claim would hold up despite having pictures and videos of me working,' she said. 'And he berated me again for asking for it, claiming that basically I'm 'doing too much'—not exact words but basically the idea—and that I should just allow what happened to me to just happen.' She ended her post by asking if there were any official channels to report the incident or steps she could take to escalate the matter further. 'I'm refusing to keep quiet about this,' she wrote. 'I feel really lost and frustrated. I know it was just one week, but I did the work, and it feels so wrong to not get paid or even get a proper explanation.' 'Your lecturer is so out of touch with the world.' In the comments, many Singaporean Reddit users criticised the lecturer for brushing off the student's concerns. 'Your lecturer handled the internship situation in the worst possible way,' one comment read. 'From what you've shared, he offered no real support as any responsible lecturer should and instead appeared to have sided with the company. Telling you to 'just suck it up' or saying it's 'just 100 dollars' and that you should show more empathy to the company shows a complete lack of empathy on his part.' 'What part of normal working life involves getting fired with no notice or explanation at all? LOL, your lecturer is tripping,' another commented. 'Your lecturer is so out of touch with the world or just super jaded by it,' a third said. 'The lecturer smells fishy,' a fourth remarked. See also Overdraft facility is useful for business growth and expansion Meanwhile, other users chimed in to give the student some advice. One suggested that the student try escalating the matter to the head of the school department. Another recommended, 'Go straight to your course manager, and if that still does not work, escalate to the director of your school. Try to resolve it at school level first. I don't think the school will be this uncaring of their students; it does sound like it is a problem with that lecturer.' What can you do if your employer doesn't pay you? According to Gloria James-Civetta & Co (GJC Law), if contacting your employer about unpaid wages doesn't resolve the issue, you can escalate the matter by submitting a formal complaint to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). MOM may step in to mediate and advise both parties. If the matter still remains unresolved after MOM's involvement, the next course of action is to file a claim with the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT), which handles salary-related disputes and wrongful dismissal disputes between employers and employees. Read also: 'All MCQs with answers given?' Employee doubts manager's degree and credibility, says he was promoted unfairly Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
11-07-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Degree holder who earns S$2,400 but holds multiple roles at work asks if the SME they work for is ‘too toxic'
Photo: Depositphotos/ 9nong (for illustration purposes only) SINGAPORE: A person working in an SME took to Reddit to describe their conditions and asked whether they were normal or 'too toxic.' In his post on r/askSingapore, u/lattehour also wondered if it's time to find a new job. At present, they fill a range of roles for the company, such as admin, accounting, courier duties, procurement and coordination. They have a four-day work week with seven days of annual leave. Twice a week, they are required to work overtime, and they need to be contactable even on their days off or when they are on medical leave. When their work requires them to travel outside the office to collect or deliver articles to clients and vendors, they receive no reimbursement for public transportation expenses. After the first year at the SME, they received no pay increment, AWS, or bonus, and for the second year, they got S$10 as ang pao during the Chinese New Year holidays, plus one more leave day. See also Today's top tech news, April 5: Go-Jek gains decacorn status Their current salary is S$2,400, and their official title is Business Operations/ Project Coordinator. They also have a degree in business management. 'Is it time to jump? What if the grass isn't actually greener on the other side? Would appreciate any advice, especially anyone who has been through something like this or even worse,' they asked. Everyone who commented on the post affirmed what the post author was already feeling: that the company is full of red flags and is indeed a toxic one. In the most upvoted comment, a Reddit user listed why. '1. You get paid for four days but work OT, so you kinda end up working a normal working week and maybe even more. '2. You pay with your own money to do travel for work (which is illegal according to the Employment Act because salary can NEVER include travel allowances). '3. After your first year, you get no increase, which, after inflation, means you are getting paid less. See also SMEs expect higher sales in 2024 but fear impact of GST hike '4. You get seven days AL, which is no benefit but rather the legal baseline set by MOM. Same with the +1 AL after one year. It is not a benefit; it is a legal requirement. '5. You do not have a clear job profile and therefore will never be able to develop and have a real career. '6. Just the fact that you need to list a $10 and pao as part of your annual rewards means there are no real rewards.' And when another commenter weighed in with 'At this point, any patch of grass anywhere else is greener than yours…. You already know what to do!' the post author replied, 'Thank you, I just needed a push.' /TISG Read also: SME boss complains about hiring fresh grads — ends up getting schooled by Reddit instead () => { const trigger = if ('IntersectionObserver' in window && trigger) { const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries, observer) => { => { if ( { lazyLoader(); // You should define lazyLoader() elsewhere or inline here // Run once } }); }, { rootMargin: '800px', threshold: 0.1 }); } else { // Fallback setTimeout(lazyLoader, 3000); } });
Independent Singapore
09-07-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Maid says, ‘My employer calls me lazy and always yells at me even though I've done all the work without rest from 6:30 morning to 12:30 night'
SINGAPORE: In a heartfelt Facebook post that quickly caught the attention of fellow helpers and employers alike, a foreign domestic worker sounded the alarm on her harsh working conditions, shedding light yet again on the difficult balance between duty, dignity, and domestic life in Singapore. 'I've only been here in Singapore for three months now,' she wrote in a public group for direct hire transfers. 'But my boss treats me badly. He always yells at me, always gets angry with me. Even though I've done everything (all the work), everyone (my employers) still says I'm lazy. I don't get enough rest working from 6:30 in the morning until 12:30 at night.' Photo: FB/Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic helper That's 18 hours a day! With no rest! And if all her account is true, it's not just exhausting — it's exploitative! Despite this, the helper ended her post with grace and grit: 'I hope I can find a good boss. I'm a fast learner and know how to get along with others. Know how to take care of the elderly, children, and dogs. I can do cleaning, ironing, washing, and cooking.' In short: She's not giving up. 'Same with my employer. You're not alone.' — a chorus of quiet suffering Her post resonated with many other helpers in the group based on previous feedback on other posts. One chimed in with their own story in this one, commenting simply but poignantly: 'Same with my employer. You're not alone.😥 I miss my last employer. She's very calm and very understanding — one of the best employers.' The pain, nostalgia, and longing for respect wrapped into that one sentence were enough to speak volumes. For many domestic workers, good employers are always remembered for their kindness and basic human decency. 'Don't believe their drama' — some employers bite back However, not everyone was sympathetic. In the comments section, a few employers fired back — clearly fed up with what they viewed as a tired trope: the 'lazy maid' playing victim. 'Yeah, as usual,' one employer wrote. 'Create some story about your current employer. If you can't take the workload, next time during the interview, be honest. Don't say yes, ma'am, yes, sir, and end up wanting to change employers. Employer already paid so much to bring you in, and now you want to change. Don't be lazy.' Another added bluntly: 'Even if you ask for a transfer, it depends on your employer if they want to release you. Worst scenario, you'll be sent home.' To many onlookers, the tone may feel more like courtroom prosecution than constructive criticism, but it raises a fair question: Who's telling the truth? Unfortunately, in most cases, it's a one-sided story until the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) steps in — or something serious happens. Behind closed doors: What the MOM says… Singapore's MOM outlines clear expectations on its official website regarding the well-being of Foreign/Migrant Domestic Workers (FDWs/MDWs). According to MOM: 'As an employer, you are responsible for the health and well-being of your MDW.' And common sense tells us that this includes allowing them to have adequate rest with: Sufficient sleep (uninterrupted sleep at night) At least one rest day per week Breaks during the day, especially during long working hours In this case, if the helper's account of a daily 6:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. grind is true, it clearly violates basic guidelines. Sleep-deprived, verbally abused, and dismissed as lazy — that's not a job. That's survival — almost slavery, even. Moreover, fatigue due to insufficient rest can also affect your helper's performance and safety. It is detrimental to her well-being. No amount of cooking, cleaning, dog-walking, or diaper-changing should ever come at the cost of someone's physical and mental health. So whose drama is it anyway? The accusations from employers — that some helpers 'make up stories' or 'just want to find an easy household' — reflect a broader mistrust that often shadows the domestic helper scene in Singapore. Yes, it's true: Not every maid is a saint. Some might over-promise during interviews. Others might genuinely struggle with homesickness, communication, or unrealistic expectations, but in a power-imbalanced relationship where the employer holds the purse strings, the bed, the food, and the legal visa — how often do helpers have a fair chance to speak up? The high cost of a bad hire Many employers cite the hefty cost of hiring a helper — often between S$3,000 and S$5,000, including agency fees, insurance, and travel — as the reason they feel 'cheated' when a helper requests a transfer just weeks or months after being hired. Understandably, this causes frustration. However, it also reveals a deeper truth: We treat people better when we see them as individuals, not investments. Perhaps that's the crux of the issue. Employers see helpers as sunk costs. Helpers just want to be treated as humans. The 'lazy' label: a convenient catch-all? When everything else fails, name-calling begins. The word 'lazy' gets thrown around far too often in domestic work, but let's be real — can someone really be lazy after working 18 hours a day? Can someone be 'lazy' and still cook, clean, iron, wash, take care of the kids, the elderly, and the dog? What are we missing here? And what's next for the helper? The maid who posted the original complaint is now seeking a transfer to another employer, but according to the rules, she will need her current employer's written consent for that. If her employer refuses, her only other option may be to return to her home country. It's a difficult spot to be in — stuck between abuse and bureaucracy. Still, her resilience shines through. She didn't insult. She didn't threaten. She simply told her story and said: I hope I can find a good boss. And perhaps there's one out there reading this who's thinking: 'I'll give her that chance.' What to do if you're a helper facing abuse in Singapore Helpers who feel mistreated should first attempt to resolve the matter calmly with their employer. If this fails, we encourage you to: In a nation built on discipline, order, and hard work, it's easy to overlook the silent engines keeping our households running. But behind the mop and the rice cooker is a person, not a thing. One who wakes up before us. Sleeps after us. And — sometimes — cries in silence. So maybe it's about time we listened. In other news, a Facebook post that quickly stirred emotions in Singapore's online domestic helper community, one foreign domestic worker shared a jaw-dropping tale of life inside a household that has five helpers, and still, according to her, nothing is ever right. 'My lady employer has five helpers. For many months, everything we do, she sees as wrong. Always demanding — do this, do that,' the helper wrote in the Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic Helper Facebook group. 'She is only thinking of the salary she's giving us and not our service to her family. Should I leave?' she asked for advice from other helpers and employers alike. You can read her full story here: Maid says her employer has '5 helpers, but still complains that all the work done is wrong and that she's feeding us too much'
South China Morning Post
03-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Keeta's dangerous order-grabbing mechanism should be scrapped
Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at [email protected] or filling in this Google form . Submissions should not exceed 400 words, and must include your full name and address, plus a phone number for verification Advertisement I refer to the article , 'Keeta riders stage third strike in Hong Kong over pay, work conditions' (May 22), which highlighted the danger of the food delivery platform's order-grabbing mechanism that has drivers vying for jobs while on the road. In the fast-paced food delivery industry, such a feature poses a significant safety hazard. Instead of automatically assigning orders, this mechanism has riders taking on orders on a first come, first served basis, so they must watch out for pop-up alerts on the app and react quickly. This leads to reckless competition, distracted riding and a higher risk of accidents. The system is flawed and urgently needs reform – or even a ban. In an open letter last week, Keeta said nearly 90 per cent of orders were assigned to drivers, while only a small percentage of orders go out through the order-grabbing mechanism, which is intended to supplement drivers' income. I believe the most effective solution is to scrap this feature. Keeta should assign all orders automatically and adopt artificial intelligence-powered distribution to ensure fairness. Advertisement If Keeta refuses to abandon the order-grabbing mechanism, it must disable order acceptance when a rider is moving faster than 10km/h or in motion for more than three seconds. It should also penalise drivers for reckless riding and suspend those caught accepting orders while driving.
Independent Singapore
16-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
S'porean man sees 'very bad' contract only on 1st day of work, regrets taking the job, advised to quit ASAP
SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old Singaporean man who was shown his contract only on the first day he reported to work asked for advice online after he saw how bad the conditions were. He explained that he felt sian and stupid for getting into this situation. Reddit users commenting on his post advised him to just walk away from the job. The post author wrote that he had willingly taken a pay cut, as well as faced a longer commute, in comparison to his previous job, after his contract ended. 'I thought this job role and scope are closer to my skill-set and expertise, and I can actually contribute in a meaningful way here. Plus, let's be honest, to have a job is better than no job in this economy, right?' he wrote. On his first day, the woman from the HR department in his new job showed him the contract for the first time. He explained that he had previously asked to see the contract and discuss its details, but the woman had refused, saying that signing and details would only be done on his first day. However, he described his benefits as 'VERY BAD' with only seven days of annual leave, no Annual Wage Supplement (13th month payment) or other bonuses. When he sat down to calculate his salary in comparison to his former pay package, it meant he would be 'down almost 50%' if he took into account the amount of leaves when encashed. Although he asked her for some time before signing, he said that he later 'basically caved' and signed the contract 'under pressure.' On the one hand, he finds the employees and bosses at the company to be nice, and the workload and job scope are up his alley. 'Seems like it'll be a wonderful place to work if money and leaves are not a concern,' he wrote, but added, '…at the same time, I honestly feel like a renumeration package like that will be damaging to my career and my investment/savings goal. Plus, only seven days leave, [where can I travel]?!' Ironically, he had turned down three other job offers that were paying a little bit more, thinking that the company he chose would provide him with growth opportunities. Many commenters told him he would be better off seeking greener pastures. 'Leave. Don't bet your career on friendly bosses. Friendly bosses are not going to pay your bills or bring you closer to your retirement plans,' one wrote, adding that if they were really 'good people,' his contract would not have had such poor benefits. Others also advised him to leave, saying that it had been a red flag when HR did not show him the contract in advance. 'Do you have emergency savings of three to six months to reject this job and find another job with better pay and perks? Once you accept this job, this will be your last drawn salary, and basically, you are walking backwards in terms of career progression. Seven days' annual leave and no bonuses, not even a 13-month pay, sounds like a really s****y deal. You need to seriously consider this, it WILL affect you financially, mentally, if you proceed,' warned another. /TISG Read also: What fresh grads can do in the face of fewer vacancies, tougher job market
