Jobs, but no locals

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Is this due to the locals' closed-mindedness, and to the extent of viewing some jobs as 'indecent', 'dishonorable', and 'degrading'?

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Businesses in Little India find it tough to hire Singaporeans

Leong Wee Keat

BESIDES overseas training and a $1,500 monthly salary, he even threw in a guarantee that the job would be for five years. Yet the owner of a restaurant in Little India is still looking for a Singaporean to hire as a cook.

Speaking at a tripartism forum yesterday, he appealed to Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong "not to kill the golden goose" when reviewing the foreign worker quota - the subject of some speculation that it may be further tightened.

For while there may be waves of jobs retrenchment, businesses in Little India are finding it hard to hire locals. Because of that, it is tough to expand, said Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association chairman Rajamkumar Chandra.

"When Singaporeans come, they are interviewing us, 'Can we work Monday to Fridays? We don't want Saturdays and Sundays'," he said.

Replying, Mr Gan said that while he would consider their views, it is important for employers, unions and the Government to work together to achieve a "win-win outcome". His ministry would work with unions to train the manpower for the food and beverage and hospitality sectors.

But employers should also think of a way to enhance job worth in the service sector, said Labour chief Lim Swee Say.

An example: The security and cleaning industries where job redesigns have led to higher salaries.

"If foreign workers become the only solution and at the expense of job upgrading, job redesign and skill redevelopment ...we will be on the unsustainable track," said the secretary general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

Both Ministers were speaking at a dialogue session with 180 business leaders from the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

The Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur) also came up for discussion. If firms are not able to send workers for retraining, perhaps the Government could transfer the subsidies to them in the form of Jobs Credits asked an employer.

To this, Mr Lim said the NTUC would object. Jobs Credits help employers cut costs, while Spur is to upgrade workers' capabilities. Mr Gan also said - ahead of official numbers - that retrenchment numbers in the second quarter would be "better than the first quarter".

From TODAY, Home – Wednesday, 29-Jul-2009

If you are interested, read the comments from readers on this news article.

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When age is the limit

MATURE WORKERS

Older jobseekers cite qualifications and skills as other obstacles

Leong Wee Keat , weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

05:55 AM Jun 16, 2009

THE 48-year-old made the journey from her home in Boon Lay to an office in Middle Road for a job interview - only to be told she was “too old”. The job Ms Jennifer De Souza was applying for?

A telemarketer.

“I was so angry I demanded my bus fare back,” she told Today. “Age should not be a factor in this line of work. If I’m willing to work, what’s the problem?”

Mature workers, like Ms De Souza, have found it harder to get employment in the first quarter of the year, according to labour market figures released by the Manpower Ministry yesterday.

Nearly six in 10 who were unemployed for more than six months were such workers. Compared with the same period last year, the number of long-term jobless people has doubled from 7,500 to 16,600 this year. And familiar faces have been turning up at meet-the-people-sessions, Members of Parliament have stated.

These jobseekers cite a combination of age, skills and education qualifications as obstacles to their re-employment.

Those with secondary education or lower are the hardest hit. Ms De Souza, who has O-level qualifications, for example, sent out more than 600 job applications over six months before she finally landed a job as an administrator in April.

To help mature workers overcome any physical limitation, labour MP Halimah Yacob suggested employers consider reducing working hours - from eight to six or even to four hours - to allow flexibility.

However, even as various options - such as re-training, job matching and highlighting vacancies - have been made available to mature jobseekers, some have been adamant as to the kind of jobs they would do.

MP Cynthia Phua said some insist on being hired as security guards even though jobs as cleaners are readily available.

At Punggol Central, residents not matched with job offers are given other helping hands: The Sengkang Community Club lent out 14 pushcarts and also entrusted its car park to four elderly residents to manage. The residents take home any profits.

Mr Goh Cher Chye, 53, takes home between $70 to $300 a month selling toys from a pushcart. Even though he is grateful for the help provided, Mr Goh’s wife had to re-enter the workforce to supplement the family’s income.

Ms De Souza, who is single, is slightly better off - her $800 monthly salary helps to cover the monthly $500 HDB mortgage.

“It is not great, but it beats sitting around at home,” she said.

From TODAY, News – Tuesday, 16-Jun-2009; see the source article here.

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Whither the personal touch?

Image by publik15 via Flickr

EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES

Now would be a good time to raise levels of professionalism

Letter from Gilbert Goh

I HAVE sought out the services of employment agencies before, but have been disappointed, to say the least. I have since given up relying on employment agencies for a job. Many ask you to lower your salary range to ridiculous levels or ask whether you are willing to do something totally different from your area of expertise. Most offer part-time clerical work at around $5 an hour.

I have found, in general, their service to be terrible. Many simply do not respond to you at all after asking you to send a resume. Even if you attend their interviews, many do not get back to you thereafter.

To me, employment agencies here lack professionalism and the personal touch. They are merely interested in clinching sales, oblivious to the feelings of the jobseeker.

Due to the agencies’ focus on meeting sales targets, many of their staff move on when they are unable to meet sales targets so there is no continuity of service. A client could well be served by a few different consultants over a short period, say three to four months.

The consultants here are mostly in their 20s and can hardly be expected to be able to empathise with a middle-aged jobless person. They do not understand the struggles a middle-aged worker has and can be insensitive when trying to coerce someone to enter a totally new field of work.

Maybe there are too many jobseekers then and too few jobs available for matching; still, it would be nice to be treated as a person, not a statistic or sales target.

Now would be a good time for employment agencies raise their level of professionalism. For starters, a templated response should be provided to every email and enquiry over any job opening. This is simple professional courtesy.

There was one positive experience I had with a woman from a small recruitment company. Not only did she exhibit understanding and provide encouragement, she also took time to go through my resume and suggested some changes so it would appear more professional. Though she did not manage to get me a job, I still remember her many years on as one of the rare few to stand out.

I am not here to run down all employment agencies. I am sure some are well run, professional outfits. Nonetheless, I urge all jobseekers to try all avenues and spread your resources around, so that you can benefit from several job search vehicles.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 12-Jun-2009

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A disparity in job expectations?

By Alicia Wong | 05:55 AM Jun 08, 2009

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Minister of Manpower Gan Kim Yong (centre), with Tanjong Pagar GRC MPs, scaling fish during a community visit to Bukit Merah View.
Photo by WEE TECK HIAN

ARE locals really unrealistic in their job hunt?

For restaurateur Amelia Kang, hiring Singapore citizens and permanent residents has not been "that ideal". Out of 10 local workers, mainly in clerical work, it's typical for only two to last more than three months, while out of 15 locals, only three have stayed in the job for more than a year, she shared.

Some Singaporeans do not have industry-specific knowledge, but expect to earn their previous salary. Said Ms Kang: "It doesn't make sense."

But when Mr Andrew Tan applied for a job he was over-qualified for, his interviewer told him: "If you come in, I don't know what I can teach you, but you have a lot to teach me."

Mr Tan, who had used the Manpower Ministry's job matching system, suggested that it be improved.

The expectations of workers and employers was one of the issues at a dialogue session yesterday at the Tanglin-Cairnhill division, and with Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong visiting, it was not long before foreign workers soon became the bogeymen.

Mr Gan reiterated the need for a "calibrated approach" in hiring foreign workers. Reserving jobs for locals during hard times would affect our long-term economic position, he said. Measures such as foreign worker quotas and the Jobs Credit scheme protect Singaporeans, he added.

One participant among the 300 residents and grassroots leaders, however, pointed out that Singaporeans "do not quarrel with the fact that we need foreign talent" but with the marketing of foreign talent as "saviours of Singapore".

"You have to look at things in perspective," he said, as foreign workers come to eke out a living and can survive on less, unlike Singaporeans who have families to support.

Foreign workers in the production line are also more willing to work overtime compared to Singaporeans, added Mr Tan.

Speaking to the media later, Mr Gan said the foreign-local divide "will remain" and is a "stress point that ... is heightened during the recession".

"It's important for Government and community to continue to explain why it's important to do the right thing, rather then to do the favourite things (by keeping jobs for locals)," he said, and added that the Government is working to assimilate foreigners into society.

Other issues raised during the one-hour session at Singapore Management University included feedback on the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience. Mr Gan urged residents to go to the Community Development Councils or their Members of Parliament for assistance.

From TODAY, News – Monday, 08-Jun-2009

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Slow recovery prompts review

Points to consider for employers? employees?

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EMPLOYMENT GUIDELINES

Pearl Forss, pearlmaria@mediacorp.com.sg 

WITH the increasing unemployment rate and a projected fall in GDP in Singapore, the tripartite partners — comprising the government, employers and unions — have issued updated guidelines to help companies lower costs and save jobs.

Some green shoots may have appeared in the economy but we are not out of the woods. Hence, the tripartite labour partners have decided to update their guidelines that were first issued last November, as many companies continue to grapple with low demand and excess manpower.

Secretary-general of NTUC, Lim Swee Say, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, said: “The global economy may be performing better, at least for the second quarter. But in Singapore, the tripartite partners are very mindful that we are still a long way from a sustained recovery.”

The guidelines state that if shorter work weeks are to be implemented, it should not exceed three days in a week, or last more than three months at any one instance, subject to review.

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SOME RECOMMENDATIONS

Shorter work week

• Ask workers to take up to 50 per cent of their earned annual leave
• Implement the reduction in work week such that it does not exceed three days in a week and not last for more than three months at any one time, subject to review
• Pay the affected employees not less than half of their salary on the day(s) when the employees are not working, during the period when the shorter week is implemented
• Leverage on Spur to send workers for skills upgrading on the day(s) when they are not working, and claim absentee payroll — a move that will benefit both employees and employer

Temporary layoff

• Request for employees to take up to 50 per cent of their annual leave
• Implement the lay off period such that it does not exceed one month at any one instance subject to review
• Pay the affected employee not less than half of their salary during the layoff period

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Employees should also not be paid less than half of their salaries on the days they are not working.

Likewise, if temporary layoffs are necessary, the period should not exceed one month, subject to review, and employees should not be paid less than half their salaries.

For shorter work weeks and temporary layoffs, the guidelines also suggest requesting workers to take up to 50 per cent of their earned annual leave.

In implementing no-pay leave, companies should have first put in place other cost-cutting measures.

Vice-president of the Singapore National Employers Federation, Bob Tan, said: “Workers don’t earn a lot . So if they have no-pay leave, they got to find other ways and means of earning a living ... But it’s better to have no-pay leave and send the workers for training than to retrench the workers. So I think these guidelines take into account what is fair for the workers but at the same time enables the company to continue operating.”

As for pay cuts, the guidelines recommend management should lead by example and take deeper cuts.

Deputy secretary-general of NTUC, Heng Chee How, said: “When it comes to things that affect wages, then can you do it in such a way that you can get a buy-in from the workers? Management should lead by example so workers will know that this is true and they are not taken for a ride.”

In a period of slack, companies are also encouraged to send their workers for upgrading. They can pick from the over 1000 subsidised courses under the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur).

And if retrenchment is inevitable, the compensation should be calculated based on the pay the worker was drawing prior to any wage cuts.

The prevailing norm is to pay a retrenchment benefit varying between two weeks and one month salary per year of service.

Companies should consult workers if retrenchment becomes necessary and notify the Manpower Ministry as soon as possible.

The guidelines also recommend making the monthly variable component (MVC) a permanent feature in calculating salaries.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said: “We want to encourage our employers who have implemented wage cuts this time, that when they restore the wage cuts, to put in the MVC so that it will create more flexibility in our wage system.”

Companies facing problems can turn to the tripartite upturn strategy teams at www.mom.gov.sg for help. Channel NewsAsia

From TODAY, News – Monday, 18-May-2009

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MC? I don’t want

Well, I'm working in Singapore, but I'm not practicing this; I take whatever MC I am given, but only happens very rarely

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As recession bites, S'pore workers are showing up at work despite being sick

05:55 AM May 13, 2009

IN AN ominous finding, a workplace survey has shown that employees here are turning up for work despite being sick, even as Singapore braces for the arrival of the H1N1 virus that is rapidly spreading across the globe.

According to the results of the 2009 Workplace Survey released yesterday by human resource specialists Robert Half, 61 per cent of Singaporean respondents cited a fear of falling behind on their workloads as their greatest concern for showing up when ill, highest among the more than 6,000 polled in 20 countries including the United States and Japan.

Some 52 per cent of the local respondents fear that too many sick days could go against them, while 50 per cent did not want to be perceived by superiors and peers as not working, the highest rates among those surveyed.

And as Singapore's worst recession continues to bite, workers here are feeling increasingly stressed.

Globally, Singapore ranks only second to Japan, with 69 per cent and 71 per cent of respondents, respectively, who expect workplace stress levels to rise this year.

The main reasons cited for the expected increase in stress levels are worries about job security and excessive workloads due to under-staffing. According to the respondents in Singapore, the main effects of rising stress levels are lower staff morale (64 per cent) and lower quality of work or service (37 per cent).

Some 32 per cent also feel that decreased productivity due to stress-related issues would be the most significant cost to the company, followed by increased employee turnover (24 per cent) and a drop in the quality of work or service (19 per cent).

Rising stress levels at work are also taking a toll on employees' personal lives and welfare.

And Singapore again ranked highest globally when it comes to employees checking company emails outside working hours, with 26 per cent spending on average 30 to 44 minutes a day doing this.

From TODAY, Singapore – Wednesday, 13-May-2009

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Any job should do...

COPING WITH THE RECESSION

Flexibility will impress future employers, Gan tells youth who raise discrimination concerns

ESTHER NG, estherng@mediacorp.com.sg

AS A fresh graduate, do I really have to accept a blue-collar job?

This plaintive question — sent via SMS by a participant in the audience, who worried that it would affect one’s shot at a PMET job after the economy recovers — drew some laughter as it was read aloud.

But Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong was in earnest as he advised this participant, and the other 80 or so youthful participants at the dialogue session with Young NTUC, to be flexible when jobhunting in a downturn. He urged them to “take up any job that is available”, as there would always be “opportunities to upgrade later on”.

Say an employer asks why you’ve not been working for the past one year — do you answer that there were “no jobs available”?

“Employers will not believe because there are always jobs available,” said Mr Gan. “Employers will think ... if in a crisis situation you’re willing to sit at home and do nothing, it means that you’re not flexible.”

For instance, Mr Gan revealed his “dream job” had been to teach, but the closest he got to it was as Minister of State for Education.

“The important thing is not to look for things we like to do, but to like the things that you’re doing”, he stressed, reiterating that many jobs are available in the fields of early childhood education, tourism, science and technology.

The two-hour forum at NTUC Centre yesterday involved mostly young unionists, and the issues they raised centred on the recession and other hurdles for graduates in the job market.

One asked: Are there enough training places for everyone, and should they look to upgrade their skills in an area they like — or train for where there is a market need?

Giving his assurance of sufficient training resources and capacity, Mr Gan advised job-seekers to approach the Employment and Employability Institute or Community Development Councils, where “career consultants” will help match their abilities with “market needs”. Training comes in where there is a mismatch, he said.

Ms Joyce Wong, 21, wondered if local graduates with degrees from private institutions enjoy equal job prospects as graduates from the three local universities.

Ms Mabel Siew, 23, wanted to know why applicants are compelled to disclose whether they are bankrupt and their medical conditions. Should they answer truthfully? “Because if you do, chances are you may not get the job,” she told Today later.

Both were hoping for some form of anti-discrimination legislation, but were not surprised when Mr Gan said the Government would “rather not legislate because the employer can get information through other means”.

He advised job applicants to be “honest” and, if they encounter discrimination, to approach the Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment.

On recognition of degrees, he said: “Even if you put up legislation, when you apply, (employers) can choose not to accept.” Rather, it’s up to private education providers to market themselves — like UniSIM, which has “built up its reputation” and “companies are happy with their graduates”, said Mr Gan.

The question about a CPF cut also cropped up. Mr Gan’s reply: There would not be one “for the time being”.

“Let’s focus on pushing ahead with Spur (Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience) and Jobs Credit.

“I think Jobs Credit has been very effective in helping companies manage their cost of employing local workers... We also have Workfare Income Supplement and so on — we need to get these implemented,” he said.

From TODAY – 20-April-2009