Last Updated on 2017-08-08 , 1:37 pm

Let’s face it, you might be working for a couple of years or you’ve just entered the workforce but you don’t know everything there is to know about working in Singapore.

And let me tell you, it can be a pretty scary place despite what people tell you. You are young, clueless and optimistic about the working world.

Here are four scary facts about working in Singapore most people don’t learn and how you can protect yourself from these things.

1. Unemployment is on the rise and it’s worse than we thought

People say that the global economy is bad. They based it on news from the US, China (read: our hope for a better economic future) and, of course, the various financial storm happening in the global scene.

Can’t understand that? It’s okay, let’s base it on real numbers instead.

According to stats provided by Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore’s unemployment rate is currently 2.1%. Naturally optimistic people will be like, “Oh! It’s only a 0.2% increase from the first quarter of the year mah. Not so bad leh.”

But very pessimistic people (like me) will be thinking, “Oh shit. That’s an increase of 8,000 people unemployed right there. Damn!” Lesson learned: Don’t be too ngiao (picky) for your first job. Get a job that you can accept, then search for something you really want to do. It’s better than sitting at home and waiting for Gold to drop from the sky. And for goodness sake, please never leave your job without a backup plan and no, buying Toto isn’t a viable plan.

2. You’re going to feel lost and helpless when you enter your workplace

When you’ve just graduated from school (finally!), you feel on top of the world. You’re certain that you’re going to make good friends at work, have the most awesome boss that’s going to like you and you don’t even need to worry about passing probation! Those dreams you had? Well, they’re not wrong but you’ll soon realize that the workplace is a much harsher environment than school.

You might be chummy with your boss but he’ll still expect you to deliver because, duh, don’t forget who pays your salary. After a month, you’ll find out that workplace is not your playground. Unlike school, no one is going to remind you of deadlines and be tolerant of the mistakes you make over and over again.

Here’s how you can get around it.

You can either whine like a baby or you just learn to adapt in thriving in harsh environments. But if you ever meet bosses who are unreasonable (in the eyes of the law), like holding back your salary or being over friendly with females that it borders on sexual harassment, it’s time to seek help!

Don’t be like alleged victims of Trump who only speak up muchhhhhh later.

If your company has a union, you can look for your union leader who goes around meeting everyone from the company—from the lowest grunt to the CEO and highlight problems that should be brought up to the boss but couldn’t because of office politics.

And if your company currently does not have a union?

You can rally all the disgruntled employees together to conduct a secret ballot and get it unionized. If the majority of employees (50% + 1) voted in favor of the union, it is compulsory for the employer to recognize the union. If they don’t, you can settle the case with MOM or at the Industrial Arbitration Court.

If you prefer to settle issues discreetly, you can seek advice or lodge complaints to NTUC. But must be a union member – click here to find out how to be one.

Lesson learned: Don’t give up. We can get all sorts of help in Singapore, can even speak to MP. But need to be proactive in seeking help because people don’t know what we’re going through.

3. Retrenchment is real and it’s not only for the middle-age guys

When we talk about retrenchment, the image that comes to most of our minds is a middle-aged guy who fibs to his wife about going to work and sits at Raffles Place calling companies after companies.

At the end of the day, he’ll make his depressed way home only to slap a smile on his face for his wife who’s waiting for him at home. Right? Wrong. We’re all wrong. Given the rapid change in technology used by companies, we all face a very real threat when it comes to skill redundancy.

Even for someone who just graduated from school less than five years ago (refer to this article if you don’t believe me).

The new name of the game is called “keeping up”, and you can’t do that with the “I just do what I’m told” attitude. And news flash! The rate for re-entry into employment is 45%. Based on our calculations, for every ten people who were laid off due to skill redundancy, less than 5 managed to get employed again. Losing a job is not the end – you are not defined by a job. Don’t be shy in getting as much help as possible if retrenchment hits you!

Try speaking to an employability coach at e2i and they may recommend you to attend an Executive workshop for PMEs. You’ll gain useful tips to increase your chance in securing a suitable job and meet like-minded job seekers who are also out of jobs.

Lesson learned: Work smart, not just hard. Dedicate time to upskilling. And for goodness sake, never let go of any resources available —SkillsFuture, Future Leader Summit, U Creative, etc. Life’s already hard enough as it is.

4. Not getting paid after retrenchment

And if you think things can’t get worse, they can.

If your boss ever retrenches you (*touch wood*), you can’t expect your employer to give you a retrenchment package IF it’s not part of your contract. Why? Because retrenchment benefits are not mandated by law. But there ARE companies who provide retrenchment benefits and it’s usually 2 weeks to 1 month pay salary per year of service, with minimum 2 years’ service.

Got extra money, cannot complain – it can pay your bills for the next few months!

Some employers, however, will “siam” if they can “siam” paying you so if this happens and your company is unionized, you can ask your union leader to fight for you based on what was promised in the Collective Agreement (legally binding document).

If they still refuse to comply, your union can even go up to MOM and make your boss meet them there at MOM HQ. If all else fails, you can approach the NTUC U PME Centre and speak to their consultants to get some advice.

Lesson learned: Before you join a company, do find out if it is represented by a union. If no union, all the more you should look through your contract carefully and check if retrenchment benefits are covered! You’re signing up for something with your eyes wide open so if shit hits the fan, can’t blame anyone, ya know? 

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This article was first published on goodyfeed.com

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