Singapore government simplifies Employment Pass to make it easier for foreigners to get job

Relocate Magazine, 19 Mar 2014
The three traditional subcategories (Q1, P2, and P1 Passes) of the Employment Pass (EP) have been simplified into a single, combined pass, immigration specialists, ProLink GLOBAL advise.
Serving as Singapore’s primary work authorisation for professional, executive, or managerial intra-company transferees, the traditional Employment Pass subcategories were determined by criteria such as salary levels, job positions, and other qualifications. After this announcement, however, all employees earning above SGD $3,300 (Singapore dollars) per month will qualify for the single, combined Employment Pass.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has also confirmed that there are no changes to the S-Pass, Personalized Employment Pass (PEP), or the EntrePass at this time. Full story

OPINION: The day when future generations of Singaporean have to depend on foreign recruiters to find jobs in Singapore

Facebook.com, 2 Mar 2014

IT professional wanted by "well-established" company in Singapore, but only Filipino and Myanmar nationals can apply

Gumtree.com.sg

[click on image to enlarge]
Link


[click on image to enlarge]
Link

Local recruitment agency blatantly flouts MOM rule by posting discriminatory ad on job portal seeking to hire exclusively Indian & Filipino F&B workers

Question: Will Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin direct his ministry to investigate and take action against such errant recruitment agency?

Gumtree.sg, 12 Feb 2014

[click on image to enlarge]
Link


[click on image to enlarge]
Link

Wage depression: Company recruiting Account Managers and Business Director with monthly salary of S$1500

Hardwarezone Forum, 1 Feb 2014


Link

Young local graduates in Singapore working as service crew and security guards

The Malaysian Insider, 28 Dec 2013
Young Singapore graduates filling up service crew jobs, diploma holders standing in as security guards and master's degree holders taking up taxi driving – all in the name of survival and because they couldn't find viable ready employment in our high-GDP low-unemployment economy.
Welcome to our new economy whereby higher education and work experience do not count any more – it's who you know now or rather what kind of passport you carry that matters. so long it is not anything associated with the pink I/C.
Many of our aging experienced professionals, managers, executives and technicians also provide tuition services to our stressed-out young students ekking out a survival substenance, but it's hardly reassuring as students come and go and many have to eat grass during school holiday period. Full story

Related:

1. Thousands of unemployed Filipino professionals head to Singapore as tourists to solely look for jobs - The Star Online
2. Indian expat families seeking to employ educated Singaporeans as domestic maids for $600-$800 - Gumtree.sg
3. Khaw Boon Wan discourages ITE and polytechnic graduates from pursuing university degree

Foreign Expat Family In Sentosa Cove Hiring Singaporean As Stay-In Nanny Cum Cleaner Cum Driver Cum Admin Asst On Six-Day Work Week For $4500

Hardwarezone Forum, 19 Dec 2013

Link




Related:
Indian expat families seeking to employ educated Singaporeans as domestic maids for $600-$800 - Gumtree.sg

OPINION: PAP government discourages Singaporeans from pursuing university education as unemployed graduates rises

The Star Online, 7 Dec 2013
With thousands of unemployed graduates, the government plans to cap campus enrolment.
It is clearer now why the government had been discouraging Singaporeans from depending too much on university degrees.
The reason is that the pool of unemployed graduates is expanding in this wealthy city, despite a general shortage of workers.
Almost by the week, new cases are being reported about well-educated professionals struggling to find jobs or being retrenched.
The latest example: A 29-year-old accountancy and finance graduate wrote of his failed job hunt for two years, saying: “I am deeply worried.” Full story

Indian expat families seeking to employ educated Singaporeans as domestic maids for $600-$800

Gumtree.sg, 27 Nov 2013


Link


Related:

IDA hiring "Penetration Testor" after recent spate of government websites being hacked

Jobstreet.com, 8 Nov 2013

Link

SMRT sacks prominent blogging train driver Gintai after 18 years of service

"My FT Indian friend Manish had this to say, “… India maybe 3rd world country but it seems that Singapore is poorer than India in all respects now. If they can’t take care of a person who served 18 yrs loyally, then it’s curtain down for them where human values are concerned.

Gintai.wordpress.com, 20 Oct 2013
After 18 long years of driving trains, I’m now told that I was not fit or competent to drive trains. I was terminated from my job end of last month. It’s now more than 3 weeks since I stopped reporting to work. In such a big organization, I was even deemed unfit for any other job. I was compensated with one month salary after I was told to leave.
For almost 18 years, I live, sleep and breath within the train system. I worked almost every day including off days unless I was on courses or on leave. I can’t even recall when was the last time I reported sick. I work with all kinds of odd hours with bizarre reporting timings and rotating shifts with rotating off days. Almost everyday, I had to remember my train timings, places (depots, stations and different platforms etc) to take the trains and worry about my train schedules. Full story

Related:
Blogger sacked from SMRT one year after meeting Minister Shanmugam

Also read:
PAP MPs asking MOM to allow firms to retain FTs - TR Emeritus

Dr Janil Puthucheary, PAP MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, will pose a question to the Acting Manpower Minister in Parliament on Monday (21 Oct).
He will ask the Minister if there are plans to introduce a scheme to allow foreigners who have a good track record and sustained work experience in local SMEs to be retained as staff under a special pass with a longer duration. He says this is especially applicable to industries that face difficulty hiring Singaporean workers.
Another PAP MP, Ms Jessica Tan of East Coast GRC, will also be asking the Minister questions on Monday with regard to allowing companies to retain foreign workers. Full story

Recruitment Firm Randstad quietly made changes to discriminatory job ad for Merchandiser Planner after being exposed by Transitioning.org

Hardwarezone Forum, 17 Oct 2013
Before:


After:


Link

Related:
Official complaint to MOM/TAFEP: Discriminatory advertisement placed by Randstad on Jobstreet - Transitioning.org

Recruitment Agency Puts Up Job Advertisement To Hire Filipino Only Master Degree Holder As Waiter

Gumtree.sg

Link


More discriminatory job ads found on Gumtree:


Link


Link

OPINION: Tan Chuan-Jin's words should be taken with a dose of salt.

Where Bears Roam Free, 24 May 2013
Some quarters are already celebrating as if MOM has taken a firm stance against discrimination in the workplace. I have yet to be convinced. Tan Chuan Jin's words are to be taken with a dose of salt. He NEVER claimed that there would be legislation against discrimination at workplace. He simply implies that it is a possibility. If you know PAP well, it also means that there's a possibility they won't take any action to have legislation. So they are actually buying time.
Tan Chuan-Jin's claim that govt 'does not entirely' reject workplace anti-discrimination is a half-hearted display of the govt's non-commitment to eradicate work discrimination.
Of course laws themselves do not change mindsets of the wrongdoers. It is the enforcement of the laws and education that works. We need BOTH laws to deter, and education to create awareness. Full story

F&B outlet in Boat Quay blatantly puts up advertisement to hire Filipinos only

Link

Singapore-based STAS ChipPAC only hires Filipinos for "Manufacturing Specialist" positions?

The Real Singapore

STATS ChipPAC is a Singapore-based manufacturers of advanced semiconductor packaging and test services. They have 3 locations in Singapore and a few more in other countries.
From this job ad, it seems that they are Specifically Hiring Filipinos for the company.
The TRS Reader who saw the post was curious as to why this Singapore Company would need to only hire Filipinos and why they need to recruit the help of Philippines' Golden Horizon Placement Agency Inc. (A Recruitment agency in Philippines that helps find global employment for Filipinos). Full story

Khaw Boon Wan urges Singaporeans to work as crane operators, says can earn $6k - $7k a month. Do you believe him?

Yahoo! Finance Singapore, 3 May 2013
"Based on a 2012 BCA survey, the monthly gross salary (including overtime pay and allowances) of relatively new crane operators can reach $4,000. Those with more years of experience can take home a monthly gross pay of $6,000 to $7,000.
Today, there are about 3,600 active crane operators in the built environment sector, operating various kinds of cranes: Crawler, Mobile and Tower cranes. Half of the operators are Singaporeans. But we need more, a few hundreds more, as we ramp up our BTO programme." Full story

Related:
Minister Khaw’s remark on pay for crane operators - The Online Citizen

Singaporean sales executive: How I was victimised and bullied by my FT boss

Hardwarezone Forum, 23 Apr 2013
I worked as a sales executive in a financial services company. A regular salary paying job trying to make ends meet. 'm the sole bread winner as my wife left her job to take care of my 1 year old daughter.
My company had organisational restructure last month and they employed a new regional sales director. I report to him directly. He is an indian who was raised up in the UK and had been working in Singapore for the past 3 years. He speaks with a strong english accent.
Things began to change after he joined. He is arrogant, full of himself and likes to talk down to subordinates. Began to implement politics and micromangement (wont go into details on that). There was an incident whereby he took my wallet which I placed on my desk, inspected my IC without permission and laughed hard at the picture. That was totally rude and disrespectful. Full story

Compensation woes driving Singaporeans to seek new opportunities

The Malaysian Insider, 28 Mar 2013
SINGAPORE, March 28 — One in two (56 per cent) of employees in Singapore are planning to leave their jobs within the next two years, citing unsatisfactory compensation, according to the Randstad Award 2013 survey.
The survey of 4500 employees in Singapore found that the figure rises even higher among those aged 18 to 34.
Randstad Director for Singapore, Michael Smith, says it also reflects rising confidence among employees about the country’s economic strength.
He said people are feeling they have helped their companies through a few tough years. For many, this was at the same time that salaries were frozen and bonuses were lower.
“Now that the outlook is more positive and many business are in a position to loosen their purse strings, employees are demanding their hard work be recognised, and if it isn’t, they’ll vote with their feet,” he added. Full story

OPINION: Inside story of why Singapore aren't taking jobs with "decent" pay

The Real Singapore

Lately, there has been news of business owners complaining about Singaporean workers, that they reject perfectly fine jobs even with decent pay, lets say about $2500-$2700. But they are actually withholding information.
In the contract enclosed, we see that the business owner has drawn up a contract that gives 10 days of medical leaves per year, not to be taken more than once a month and also 7 days of entitled annual leave which is only available after 1 year of service with the company. This is far below the usual number of days given. Full story