[h=2]PMET: My crime is being a Singaporean & a parent[/h]
January 9th, 2014 |
Author: Contributions
I am suffering from severe depression after being retrenched (not quite, but sort of) in a job I thought would be my stable rice bowl.
When it comes to being replaced by cheaper FTs, I’ve experienced this first hand more than once. My crimes: for being a Singaporean and for being a parent.
My first boss here in SG (a famous MNC) promised to convert me from contract (no CPF) to full-time worker after 2 weeks. Sometimes I even worked till 3 am. 3 months past and a fresh Indonesian grad was hired instead. I remained a contract worker with no benefits while the MNC continue to be filled with expats and cheap workers. I asked why I was not converted. Their reason: tight on budget. After enduring months of agony with empty promises, I left.
The next company, same thing happened, this time it was 2 fresh grads – a M’sian and a PRC. Once more, no conversion due to ‘tight’ budget. I was hired on a freelance basis instead even though I worked the same full time hours with OT (no OT pay), so they don’t have to pay my CPF.
The next place, I was told by the Malaysian boss who is a Singapore PR that no company would want to hire me because I’m a parent, and that my asking salary ($2600 as a senior executive with 6 yrs experience) was way too high. He replaced me and a fellow senior exec (also a Singaporean with same work experience length as me, but at $3000) with 2 young fresh grads who commanded $1800 each.
I worked for a subsidiary company owned by a local MNC here for a while before being threatened to be fired, because I was not working ‘fast’ enough (I was doing 2-people job and had to supervise the juniors under me as well since the company was reluctant to hire extra help that I asked for), despite the super long hours. This lady boss even expected us to keep quiet about the fact she was hiring a fresh Indonesian grad illegally before her S-Pass was approved, since the head company would not allow this. We were understaffed too and Singaporeans were way too expensive for her to hire. I could not endure the abuse further, especially the lies that the management fed her about me since they didn’t like me giving them honest feedback and opinions. My 2 other ex-colleagues also could not endure the dictatorship-like hierarchy, so we quit.
Desperate for money to come in, I worked for an events company before I left in less than a year, due to its financial and legal issues. They were so severe that my FT boss was issued multiple letters by CPF and MOM regarding unpaid wages and to appear in court. He never did. One ex-colleague was so frustrated that she interrogated CPF as to why they were not chasing this matter more seriously as we Singaporeans were suffering under the brutality of this FT boss. Surprisingly, the empathetic CPF officer in charge explained to her in hush tones that this was so on purpose that Singapore remains “business friendly”. I’m not so “jia-lat” like her, since the remaining amount due to me was a much smaller 3-digit amount compared to her 5-digit amount. The company closed down but the FT boss still walks scott-free till this day.
The savior (or so I thought) came when I landed a job at South East Asia’s largest fashion e-retailer with a better pay. I thought I have arrived at last with a stable job and income with CPF contributions at last! The first few months was exciting to see the start-up MNC grow from a few dozens to hundreds of people in less than a year, thanks to the financial backing of its parent conglomerate company. Despite the fun atmosphere, I saw the messy organisation and was appalled by the uncontrolled and unsupervised mass hiring spree.
I saw interns interviewing other interns for positions, FT colleagues getting their FT friends, some FTs even admitted they got the job on the spot via Skype interview and flew to Singapore the following week. Even more impressive, we have so many managers and directors who are in their 20s. ‘Manager’ – because an individual manage one aspect of the website. Important job titles that would usually take years to earn were thrown out like confetti to inexperienced, questionable workers(a great way to retain them perhaps?). Over time, I noticed more and more older workers leaving the company, until I myself felt out of place even though I’m in my early 30s. I’ve even seen fresh grads becoming the head of certain departments, or young managers becoming directors in less than a year they were hired.
Even though the company operates as a flat hierarchy, job titles were being prostituted over experience. I was put under a fresh grad who became director in less than a year, and it was hell since this fresh grad was inexperienced and inconsistent in decision-making, and blames were put on us instead of her. While I’m not against the great friendships that form in the place, it was survival since top positions were given to those within their circle. Unsurprisingly, I was not given any senior or managerial role despite having intensive experience in those areas.
Because, as a parent, I could not afford to go out late nights to their drunk parties, or dinners as my priority was to my family. There are so few parents in the company, that the department I worked for had none. I was blasted as a capital ‘B’ by an insensitive young FT who admitted getting the job without going through an interview. It even hurts that a Singaporean junior worker angrily commented that I should spend longer hours in the office to be fair to them, even after explaining my situation to them (I have no maid and relatives’ help with my kid from daycare) and the head allowed me to go home early on the condition I finish my leftover work from home which I always delivered on time.
I have suffered discriminating, insensitive abuse, and even micromanaging from the young hirelings that one other nice boss stepped in to warn them about their attitudes towards me. I felt countless guilt trips for being overly harsh to my kid as a result of work pressure.
Once due to under staffing, we were given last minute notice on Friday that everyone in the department had to help out in the warehouse the next day on Saturday. As I already had plans to spend time with my child, I told the boss I could not, but she said I was not showing team spirit if I did not come.
The company suffered major financial losses (US$91 million) in that year. Severe cost cutting was taking place. Lots of Singaporeans lost their jobs while many of the FTs (most on E-pass) were kept.
The final straw came when the boss told me in private that I was selected to be retrenched. Due to cost cutting measures, they would not hire anyone in the department above $2000. Salary reductions was happening across many departments. I was told that I’m not young anymore and should look for a job that would pay my worth.
While I looked around at the FTs (some slightly older than me) on E-pass in secret anger that they get to stay, I remembered my family and reluctantly agreed on a huge pay cut similar to a fresh grad pay than to take a retrenchment. I even talked to the HR boss (an FT too) about the matter, and whether there was a chance to take back my old salary. Her response was that I should be concerned about the welfare of the company. What about my family and our welfare??
Not my problem that you went on to mismanage the company in the first place and lost US$91 million! They are now mass hiring interns.
What hope is there for older PMETs like me, seeing that even fresh grads can become managers and directors less than a year instead of us?? All my years of hard work and long hours on my CV have become such a joke.
Sad PMET
When it comes to being replaced by cheaper FTs, I’ve experienced this first hand more than once. My crimes: for being a Singaporean and for being a parent.
My first boss here in SG (a famous MNC) promised to convert me from contract (no CPF) to full-time worker after 2 weeks. Sometimes I even worked till 3 am. 3 months past and a fresh Indonesian grad was hired instead. I remained a contract worker with no benefits while the MNC continue to be filled with expats and cheap workers. I asked why I was not converted. Their reason: tight on budget. After enduring months of agony with empty promises, I left.
The next company, same thing happened, this time it was 2 fresh grads – a M’sian and a PRC. Once more, no conversion due to ‘tight’ budget. I was hired on a freelance basis instead even though I worked the same full time hours with OT (no OT pay), so they don’t have to pay my CPF.
The next place, I was told by the Malaysian boss who is a Singapore PR that no company would want to hire me because I’m a parent, and that my asking salary ($2600 as a senior executive with 6 yrs experience) was way too high. He replaced me and a fellow senior exec (also a Singaporean with same work experience length as me, but at $3000) with 2 young fresh grads who commanded $1800 each.
I worked for a subsidiary company owned by a local MNC here for a while before being threatened to be fired, because I was not working ‘fast’ enough (I was doing 2-people job and had to supervise the juniors under me as well since the company was reluctant to hire extra help that I asked for), despite the super long hours. This lady boss even expected us to keep quiet about the fact she was hiring a fresh Indonesian grad illegally before her S-Pass was approved, since the head company would not allow this. We were understaffed too and Singaporeans were way too expensive for her to hire. I could not endure the abuse further, especially the lies that the management fed her about me since they didn’t like me giving them honest feedback and opinions. My 2 other ex-colleagues also could not endure the dictatorship-like hierarchy, so we quit.
Desperate for money to come in, I worked for an events company before I left in less than a year, due to its financial and legal issues. They were so severe that my FT boss was issued multiple letters by CPF and MOM regarding unpaid wages and to appear in court. He never did. One ex-colleague was so frustrated that she interrogated CPF as to why they were not chasing this matter more seriously as we Singaporeans were suffering under the brutality of this FT boss. Surprisingly, the empathetic CPF officer in charge explained to her in hush tones that this was so on purpose that Singapore remains “business friendly”. I’m not so “jia-lat” like her, since the remaining amount due to me was a much smaller 3-digit amount compared to her 5-digit amount. The company closed down but the FT boss still walks scott-free till this day.
The savior (or so I thought) came when I landed a job at South East Asia’s largest fashion e-retailer with a better pay. I thought I have arrived at last with a stable job and income with CPF contributions at last! The first few months was exciting to see the start-up MNC grow from a few dozens to hundreds of people in less than a year, thanks to the financial backing of its parent conglomerate company. Despite the fun atmosphere, I saw the messy organisation and was appalled by the uncontrolled and unsupervised mass hiring spree.
I saw interns interviewing other interns for positions, FT colleagues getting their FT friends, some FTs even admitted they got the job on the spot via Skype interview and flew to Singapore the following week. Even more impressive, we have so many managers and directors who are in their 20s. ‘Manager’ – because an individual manage one aspect of the website. Important job titles that would usually take years to earn were thrown out like confetti to inexperienced, questionable workers(a great way to retain them perhaps?). Over time, I noticed more and more older workers leaving the company, until I myself felt out of place even though I’m in my early 30s. I’ve even seen fresh grads becoming the head of certain departments, or young managers becoming directors in less than a year they were hired.
Even though the company operates as a flat hierarchy, job titles were being prostituted over experience. I was put under a fresh grad who became director in less than a year, and it was hell since this fresh grad was inexperienced and inconsistent in decision-making, and blames were put on us instead of her. While I’m not against the great friendships that form in the place, it was survival since top positions were given to those within their circle. Unsurprisingly, I was not given any senior or managerial role despite having intensive experience in those areas.
Because, as a parent, I could not afford to go out late nights to their drunk parties, or dinners as my priority was to my family. There are so few parents in the company, that the department I worked for had none. I was blasted as a capital ‘B’ by an insensitive young FT who admitted getting the job without going through an interview. It even hurts that a Singaporean junior worker angrily commented that I should spend longer hours in the office to be fair to them, even after explaining my situation to them (I have no maid and relatives’ help with my kid from daycare) and the head allowed me to go home early on the condition I finish my leftover work from home which I always delivered on time.
I have suffered discriminating, insensitive abuse, and even micromanaging from the young hirelings that one other nice boss stepped in to warn them about their attitudes towards me. I felt countless guilt trips for being overly harsh to my kid as a result of work pressure.
Once due to under staffing, we were given last minute notice on Friday that everyone in the department had to help out in the warehouse the next day on Saturday. As I already had plans to spend time with my child, I told the boss I could not, but she said I was not showing team spirit if I did not come.
The company suffered major financial losses (US$91 million) in that year. Severe cost cutting was taking place. Lots of Singaporeans lost their jobs while many of the FTs (most on E-pass) were kept.
The final straw came when the boss told me in private that I was selected to be retrenched. Due to cost cutting measures, they would not hire anyone in the department above $2000. Salary reductions was happening across many departments. I was told that I’m not young anymore and should look for a job that would pay my worth.
While I looked around at the FTs (some slightly older than me) on E-pass in secret anger that they get to stay, I remembered my family and reluctantly agreed on a huge pay cut similar to a fresh grad pay than to take a retrenchment. I even talked to the HR boss (an FT too) about the matter, and whether there was a chance to take back my old salary. Her response was that I should be concerned about the welfare of the company. What about my family and our welfare??
Not my problem that you went on to mismanage the company in the first place and lost US$91 million! They are now mass hiring interns.
What hope is there for older PMETs like me, seeing that even fresh grads can become managers and directors less than a year instead of us?? All my years of hard work and long hours on my CV have become such a joke.
Sad PMET
