Singapore ranks 32 out of 40 for work-life balance, second most overworked city

[yinyang]

Singapore ranks 32 out of 40 for work-life balance,
second most overworked city

Singapore was ranked second for work intensity, which considers factors such as vacation days taken,
paid maternal and parental leave, and the share of full-time employees working more than 48 hours per working week.
07 Aug 2019 09:17PM (Updated: 07 Aug 2019 09:20PM)

SINGAPORE: Singapore was among the bottom 10 for work-life balance and ranked the second most overworked city in a study of 40 cities released on Wednesday (Aug 7).

The study by tech company Kisi showed Singapore came in 32nd among the 40 cities on the list for work-life balance. Helsinki nabbed the top spot, followed by Munich, Oslo, Hamburg and Stockholm. Kuala Lumpur was ranked last, with Tokyo close behind.

Singapore was second only to Tokyo in a ranking for the most overworked cities.

(Source: Kisi)

The cities included in the 2019 Work–Life Balance Index are "known for attracting professionals and families for their work opportunities and diverse lifestyle offerings", the study said.

READ: Coping one day and crying the next: Work-related burnout is real
READ: Commentary: How to know if you have burnout? Four questions to ask yourself

They were ranked based on factors like the average number of hours worked per week, minimum number of vacation days offered, average amount of time spent travelling to work, gender parity, and perceived level of happiness.
In Singapore, 23 per cent of people worked more than 48 hours per week and workers began their work day at 9.34am on average, the study showed.

Workers in Singapore worked an average of 44.6 hours a week, exceeded only by employees in Kuala Lumpur with 46 hours, according to the survey. In contrast, people in Oslo worked 38.9 hours a week, the fewest among the 40 cities.

READ: Commentary: What’s behind burnout? Confusing long hours and face time for work performance

Workers were offered seven minimum vacation days and took 14 vacation days on average.
The city ranked 11 for gender equality and had the highest safety score. It was ranked seventh for perceived happiness and 17th for "stress-inducing factors", such as a city’s population density, transport and infrastructure, climate, and local economy.

The study drew on sources like Kisi's own internal data, the International Labour Organisation and Expedia.
CEO of Kisi Bernhard Mehl said: "It is important for us to note that our professional and personal lives are not, and should not be, mutually exclusive.
"Despite living in an era where unprecedented advancements have been made in technology and connectivity, we have failed to address the most everyday aspect of enhancing our everyday lives - finding the balance between work and leisure.
“Whether it’s the long hours, unrealistic expectations from bosses or job insecurity, workplace stress has proven to affect our physical and mental health.
"As long as employees are stressed, they will not take advantage of the safeguards created for their well-being - no matter how progressive government and company reforms are."

The company added the index was not designed to be a city livability index, nor is it intended to highlight the best cities to work in.

"Iinstead, it aims to be a guideline for cities to benchmark their ability to support the fulfilment of residents’ lives by improving the aspects of life that help relieve work-related stress and intensity," Kisi said.



Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/new...-life-balance-second-most-overworked-11789264

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Fake news

Netizens ridicule survey results that say 8 in 10 Singaporeans are happy with work-life balance - The Online Citizen
According to a survey done by recruitment agency Michael Page, it is said that eight in 10 Singaporeans are happy with their work-life balance. In fact, it also found out that 70 per cent of people responded to work calls and e-mails even outside of working hours, and 84 per cent of them revealed that they do it because they have responsibilities that require them to be contactable.
The recruitment agency’s Singapore Work Happy Survey 2019 focused on different aspects of work and how happy employees are. It was done on 1,328 professionals in the country from various job levels.
Half of the respondents opine that work devices positively impact their work-life balance because it gives them a chance to have flexible work arrangements. In total, 80 per cent of them highlighted that they’re happy with their work-life balance.
“Work-life balance is an essential consideration for all professionals in Singapore. Success at work is now defined by what you can achieve both in and out of the office,” said Michael Page Singapore managing director Nilay Khandelwal.
The survey also found out that 55 per cent of respondents noted that a flexible work environment is vital as it provides them with better work-life balance. In fact, 39 per cent of them said such an environment allows them to be more productive at work, and 6 per cent pointed out that it gives them more family time.
Besides work-life balance, the survey also stated that 59 per cent of employees chat on messaging apps with family and friends, whereas 46 per cent make time to talk to their colleagues on personal matters while at work.
On the other hand, 31 per cent of respondents also noted that they spend time searching for information for personal reasons at work, while 25 per cent engage on social media and 20 per cent send personal-emails. But, employees are generally productive with 91 per cent spending less than an hour a day focusing on personal matters in the office.
As for work connectivity, 86 per cent of those responded noted that they have received a device from work which include laptops (47 per cent), smartphones (30 per cent) and tablets (9 per cent).
If that is not all, 90 per cent of individuals surveyed said that they spend an hour or less travelling to work daily. 46 per cent of them stressed that they view commuting to work as an important part when considering a new job, hinting that office location could play a major role in deciding if they would take a job or not.
Over on social media, netizens rubbish the survey’s findings and said that it’s far from reality. More than 200 comments were received in ST’s Facebook page where many of them highlighted that those who surveyed are just happy with their big pay check, and not so much about work-life balance. They added that Singapore is a stressful city for people to live in and it has very less leisure as well.

Apart from that, some commented that the survey result is fake as the sample size is too small and Michael Page has picked the wrong kind of respondents. They also said that the respondents were most probably foreign talents, and the recruitment agency should be “sued” for releasing “fake news”.

Share this:
Tan Kin Lian mocks Goh Chok Tong for not being at Raffles Institution’s gathering, says he “lost his way”
Ex-presidential candidate and former CEO of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian took to his Facebook today (8 August) to mock Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong for not attending the Raffles Institution’s gathering. In his post, Mr Tan posted a picture of a group of people and said that “this is a gathering of Old Rafflesians”. He added that …
Singtel net profit hit by a massive 35% drop, dragged down by its investment in India’s Airtel
Singtel reported today (8 Aug) a 35 per cent drop in its first-quarter net profit largely dragged down by losses in its investment in India’s Bharti Airtel. Singtel posted a net profit of S$541 million for the three months ended in June, compared with S$832 million a year ago. Revenue rose 2 per cent to S$4.11 billion due to consumer …
Simon Lim: It is not Singaporeans who need to integrate with foreigners, but the way around
by Simon Lim I refer to the news about Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, calling on Singaporeans to integrate with foreigners. Meaningful and truly successful integration of different people is much more than a few noisy and visible ministerial exhortations. What Grace Fu did was the easiest part. It is a very long journey that must …
Gojek introduces new partnerships and benefits for users in the spirit of National Day
To celebrate the nation’s 54th birthday and the long weekend, GoJek Singapore has launched a series of initiatives to spread the holiday cheer to its driver-partners and customers. In a press release that was sent out earlier today (8 Aug) by GoJek, the multi-service platform technology company announced new partnerships as it aims to improve the welfare of its employees …
Deadline for PMD safety certification to be brought forward by 6 months, says LTA
Following a series of fire incidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs) that occurred in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is all set to bring forward the UL2272 safety certification for all PMD vehicles by six months. This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min in Parliament. He said that the LTA will need all …
Marathoner Soh Rui Yong commences legal battle against SNOC and Singapore Athletics over recent conflicts
In the most recent development of the conflict between Singaporean long distance runner Soh Rui Yong and national sports authorities, it appears Mr Soh has sent letters to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Singapore Athletics (SA). In a blog post on his website RunSohFast and on Facebook yesterday (7 August), Mr Soh explained that while he would not be …
Author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh slams individuals who say “brownface” concept originated in the West
On Wednesday (7 August), author and freelance writer at The Economic Intelligence Unit Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh took to his Facebook to slam individuals who said that the concept of “brownface” originated in the West. His post was referring to the recent racial saga that has been making headlines in the country for a while now. In July, an advertisement created …
PIONEER magazine goes completely digital starting next month
After 50 years, PIONEER, a magazine published by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), just released its final print copy this month. Starting from next month, the magazine will go fully online. This news was made public in their August edition’s print version, which said “Our Final Print Issue – See you online!”. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) also took to …
Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre opens in Singapore, to be helmed by Prof Steve Ngo
The Beihai Asia International Arbitration centre (BAIAC) opens in Singapore today (8 August). The BAIAC, which was set up by the Beihai Arbitration Commission (BAC) headquartered in China, will provide more efficient and cheaper international arbitration services for small to medium value disputes in cross-border transactions, with a focus on China and Asean. The centre will form a China-Asean panel of …
Man faces up to 7 years in prison for burning the Singapore flag
A man was arrested on 7 August (Wednesday) for burning the Singapore flag, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a statement. SPF was alerted on Sunday afternoon around 12.40pm when burnt flags were found at Block 774 Woodlands Crescent. The police managed to identify the 25-year old with the help of CCTV images. He is believed to have been …
Apex court upholds acquittal of man accused of raping lover’s daughter
The Court of Appeal on Thursday (8th August) morning upheld the decision of the High Court to acquit a 58-year-old man of five charges relating to sexual offences allegedly committed by him, finding that the Prosecution had not proven all charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The decision of the apex court ended a 5-year long ordeal suffered by Mohd Ariffan …
CPF throws another family into the spotlight after they shared how their missing father was being charged premiums for 23 years
5 August was the 23rd anniversary of the disappearance of Facebook user Yukumi Wu’s father, Mr Boo Meng Hock. Sharing a photo of the police report that was made over two decades ago, Ms Wu recounted that her father was last seen at the Singapore Island Country Club where he worked as a caddy, according to his friends. Ms Wu …
47-yr-old Singaporean and 42-yr-old Chinese national jailed for entering into Marriage of Convenience
A 47-year-old male Singaporean, Mow Cheang Chong (Mow), and a 42-year-old female Chinese national, Wang Xiaoyan (Wang), were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on 18 July 2019 for offences under the Immigration Act. According to the press release from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (7 August), investigations revealed that Mow and Wang befriended each other at …
Choa Chu Kang Town Council forced to file police report over Chinese flag hanging at HDB block
It has been reported that Choa Chu Kang Town Council has lodged a police report after a China’s national flag was displayed at a HDB block. Choa Chu Kang Town Council told the media today (7 Aug) that the Chinese flag, which was displayed at Block 489B of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, has been taken down. Some residents had …
China high school mysteriously takes down press release of its students being awarded MOE scholarship
TOC reported last month (‘TaiAn No.1 Senior High: 4 of 20 MOE scholars for Shandong province from our school‘, 6 Jul) that Shandong Tai An Senior High School of China issued a press release in May to highlight that 4 of its students were awarded the Singapore MOE scholarship after passing the written tests and interviews with flying colors. The …
An honest reply to Education Minister Ong Ye Kung (from outside Parliament)
by Kok Ming Cheang As a true-blue Pioneer citizen who have lived through the era of our founding fathers, just reading the reported Parliamentary debate between Education Minister Ong Ye Kung and Workers’ Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera and MP Png Eng Huat, tells me that the Ministry of Education has a mountain of information to hide …
Valuation of unlisted assets considered in reviewing GIC and Temasek portfolio risks: Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong
The government takes into account the valuation of unlisted assets in GIC and Temasek such as private equity, infrastructure, and real estate when reviewing the overall risks of its whole portfolio of assets, said Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on Tue (6 Aug). Responding to a Parliamentary question from Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) …
Online users dismiss study’s claim that says Singaporeans don’t have work-life balance because they’re dedicated to their job
Based on a new study by Kisi – a keyless access technology company – released on Wednesday (7 August), it was found that Singapore performed badly when it comes to work-life balance as it placed in the bottom quarter of 40 cities. The city-state took the 32nd spot, although it is still placed higher than other selected Asian countries like …
Government to start regulating ride-hailing services like Grab and Go-Jek in 2020, from licenses to fares
The government will start regulating ride-hailing apps under the new P2P Passenger Transport Bill that was passed just yesterday (6 August). Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary announced in Parliament just before the bill was passed that the 45,000 vehicles under ride hailing apps such as Go-Jek, Grab and Ryde will eventually come under the new regulatory …
How much Singapore spends on scholarships for foreign students compared to other countries?
We recently wrote about the government spending approximately S$238 million on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students attending schools and autonomous universities in Singapore. Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament that of the S$238 million, about S$130 million is spent on scholarships for foreign students in schools and autonomous universities while another S$108 million is spent on tuition …
Minister Masagos Zulkifli says Singapore needs to continue building its recycling capabilities, but is the Government actually doing much about it?
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli revealed on Tuesday (6 August) that around 30% of Singapore’s recyclable waste was exported overseas last year, and the remaining 60% are processed locally. “In 2018, about 30% of recyclable material, such as paper, plastics, glass and metal, was exported to countries including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and …
NUS seeks to attract overseas Singaporean academics via grant — but many professors previously left due to high research output requirements
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is offering a S$200,000 grant to overseas Singaporean academics seeking to return to the country and to join the university as pre-tenure assistant professors, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tue (6 Aug). Speaking at the inaugural Singaporean Researchers Global Summit held at the Regent Singapore, Mr Ong said that the grant, half …
MOE says 1.8% of budget spent on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students – that’s about 9% of what is spent on universities
Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament (5 August) that the government spent about $238 million in scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students. The Education Minister revealed that of the S$238 million, the government spends about $130 million on scholarships and about S$108 million on tuition grants for foreign students. In his replies to questions from Workers’ …
Singapore Writers Festival 2019 announces theme of “A Language of Our Own” and introduces new youth-centric focus
This year’s Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), themed ‘A Language of Our Own’, will explore the role of language in the expression of identities and formation of communities in the 21st century. The festival not only ushers in a new chapter in its 22nd edition but also features a new face at the helm, with poet Pooja Nansi making her debut …
MOE sets low benchmark for foreign scholars to retain their scholarship programme
On Mon (5 Aug) in parliament, in response to a question from WP NCMP Leon Perera, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung revealed that government spending on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students has fallen 50% over the past decade. It is now around $238 million, which means the annual spending in 2009 would have been $476 million. Putting this …
Jack Sim: I’m proud of my country Singapore for good reasons
by Jack Sim My National Day message for 9 August. I’m proud of my country Singapore for good reasons. Born 1957, I grew up in a slum living in an attap house . Most citizens were poor and our GDP per capita was USD 500 a year same as Mexico and South Africa on our first National Day in 1965. …
A Balancing Act – dissecting the issue on foreign scholars and tuition grants
by Yee Jenn Jong Two days ago in parliament in response to my Workers’ Party colleague Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung revealed that government spending on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students fell 50% over the past 10 years. It is now around $238 million, which means the annual spending around 2009 …
Public advisory on scam calls impersonating ICA officers
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has issued a warning to members of the public of calls claiming to be its officers. The authority stated that members of the public have been receiving calls from different numbers, such as the Immigration Offender hotline “1800 3916150” that allows the public to call and provide information on immigration offenders and related activities. …
Two Malaysians arrested for attempting to smuggle Bangladeshi national out of Singapore
Two women were arrested on Monday (5 August) for smuggling a 31-year-old Bangladeshi national, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) stated in a press release on Tuesday. ICA stated that its officers stopped a departing Malaysia-registered car for checks at the Woodlands Checkpoint at around 8.20 pm. The car was driven by a 28-year-old Malaysian woman and she was accompanied …
Netizens show support towards marathoner Soh Rui Yong after he was blocked on social media and WhatsApp group chat by Singapore Athletics
Two-time marathon champion Soh Rui Yong is back in the limelight, and this time due to his tiff with Singapore Athletics (SA) after the organisation blocked him from posting on its social media platforms. Their disagreement came after the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) announced in a media statement on 1 August (Thursday) that the two-time marathon champion Soh Rui …

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Commentary: Let's review our assumptions about work-life balance
Successfully managing our work-life balance can lead to better well-being but we need to first appreciate the complex relationship between work and life, say three business observers.
File photo of office workers at Raffles Place. (Photo: TODAY)Share this content
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: It’s no wonder work-life balance is a commonly discussed topic in modern societies like Singapore.
For one, we’re always complaining about how “awful” our work–life balance is, according to a 2016 survey by salary benchmarking site Emolument.
Never mind that significant progress has been made through schemes that promote flexible working arrangements in local companies.
In the early 1990s, “work–life balance” became a popular topic thanks to Juliet Schor’s book The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure. She explored how employment had created such high demands on Americans that there had been a sharp decline in the quality of their life due to a lack of leisure time.
Most Singaporeans would agree that the situation is not any different today. In fact, the current talk in Singapore is that work-life balance is at best an ideal to strive towards.
At worst, work-life balance is proverbial, elusive and even depressing to think about
Yet the debate surrounding work-life balance in government, industry and academia often occurs without a clear understanding of what it is.
Furthermore, various interpretations of work-life balance are based entirely on misconceptions about work, life and employee attitudes.
NOT A 50/50 DIVIDE
First, many of us think of work–life balance as an equal distribution of time between work and non-work activities.

This 50/50 approach to assessing work–life balance pits both work and life against one another.​

It also suggests that life as a whole is something we can divide as we wish.
But “work” and “life” are elastic. We are constantly reinforcing or redefining our work-life boundaries in response to our needs, constraints and life phases.
A man talks on his phone in Singapore's Central Business District.

Work-life balance is subjective and unique to each of us.​

The nature of our work and life demands and responsibilities are different, so we tend to have our own preferences for managing our work and non-work roles.
For example, the self-employed (including freelancers and small business owners) are known to work longer hours per week, often working through weekends and even forgoing holidays. Yet in studies involving the self-employed, most seemed to be more satisfied with their work–life balance than employees holding a 9-to-5 office job.
More recently, work-life studies are showing that individuals who seem to “have it all” thrive on a sense of balance rooted in a strong belief in their own ability and daily recovery from work- or life-related stress.
ONE-SIDED CONVERSATION ABOUT WORK
Second, work experiences are often discussed in a bad light, such that any interference from work to non-work is bound to be harmful. The conversation surrounding work-life balance remains largely one-sided.
Work is often associated with stress, anxiety, conflict (with colleagues, supervisors and family members) and other negative health-related symptoms (including insomnia and heart disease). It is seen as an activity that intrudes into other non-work spheres (relating to the family, social, and community) and reduces an individual’s overall well-being.
On the contrary, we derive resources (including psychological, physical, intellectual and monetary gains) from multiple life roles including work. Other than monetary benefits from work that are needed to sustain livelihood, all of us experience satisfaction, fulfilment, a sense of purpose, skill and knowledge enhancements from our work.
As a result, we are better able to cope with the demands and challenges arising from other non-work spheres. We also feel happier, more optimistic and confident.
A woman surfs the Internet at work. (Photo: Pixabay)
Such a phenomenon is called “work-to-family enrichment”. Its positive impact on employees’ well-being and life satisfaction has been proven in many studies.

 

[Leongsam]

Work / Life balance is and individual choice.

If Singaporeans choose to work long hours so they can afford their fancy phones and Euro cars it is lifestyle that they have imposed upon themselves.

I would have to work a lot harder in NZ if I wanted fancy luxuries. However I am quite happy traveling around on my PMD and thus keep my overheads low.

The reward is that I don't have to work more than 4 hours a day.

 

[laksaboy]

Work / Life balance is and individual choice.

If Singaporeans choose to work long hours so they can afford their fancy phones and Euro cars it is lifestyle that they have imposed upon themselves.

I would have to work a lot harder in NZ if I wanted fancy luxuries. However I am quite happy traveling around on my PMD and thus keep my overheads low.

The reward is that I don't have to work more than 4 hours a day.

Work life balance is indeed a choice but for most Sinkie employees, the amount of money received is not commensurate with the number of hours spent. Hours that are stipulated in the employment contract.

It's a rip off, and if Sinkies are daft enough, eventually Jack Ma's 9-9-6 system will be implemented.

 

[AhMeng]

Simi Ranjiao is work life balance? HR nothing better to invent come up with such stupid millennial concept to attract talent lah.

 

[mojito]

Fake news

Netizens ridicule survey results that say 8 in 10 Singaporeans are happy with work-life balance - The Online Citizen
According to a survey done by recruitment agency Michael Page, it is said that eight in 10 Singaporeans are happy with their work-life balance. In fact, it also found out that 70 per cent of people responded to work calls and e-mails even outside of working hours, and 84 per cent of them revealed that they do it because they have responsibilities that require them to be contactable.
The recruitment agency’s Singapore Work Happy Survey 2019 focused on different aspects of work and how happy employees are. It was done on 1,328 professionals in the country from various job levels.
Half of the respondents opine that work devices positively impact their work-life balance because it gives them a chance to have flexible work arrangements. In total, 80 per cent of them highlighted that they’re happy with their work-life balance.
“Work-life balance is an essential consideration for all professionals in Singapore. Success at work is now defined by what you can achieve both in and out of the office,” said Michael Page Singapore managing director Nilay Khandelwal.
The survey also found out that 55 per cent of respondents noted that a flexible work environment is vital as it provides them with better work-life balance. In fact, 39 per cent of them said such an environment allows them to be more productive at work, and 6 per cent pointed out that it gives them more family time.
Besides work-life balance, the survey also stated that 59 per cent of employees chat on messaging apps with family and friends, whereas 46 per cent make time to talk to their colleagues on personal matters while at work.
On the other hand, 31 per cent of respondents also noted that they spend time searching for information for personal reasons at work, while 25 per cent engage on social media and 20 per cent send personal-emails. But, employees are generally productive with 91 per cent spending less than an hour a day focusing on personal matters in the office.
As for work connectivity, 86 per cent of those responded noted that they have received a device from work which include laptops (47 per cent), smartphones (30 per cent) and tablets (9 per cent).
If that is not all, 90 per cent of individuals surveyed said that they spend an hour or less travelling to work daily. 46 per cent of them stressed that they view commuting to work as an important part when considering a new job, hinting that office location could play a major role in deciding if they would take a job or not.
Over on social media, netizens rubbish the survey’s findings and said that it’s far from reality. More than 200 comments were received in ST’s Facebook page where many of them highlighted that those who surveyed are just happy with their big pay check, and not so much about work-life balance. They added that Singapore is a stressful city for people to live in and it has very less leisure as well.

Apart from that, some commented that the survey result is fake as the sample size is too small and Michael Page has picked the wrong kind of respondents. They also said that the respondents were most probably foreign talents, and the recruitment agency should be “sued” for releasing “fake news”.

Share this:
Tan Kin Lian mocks Goh Chok Tong for not being at Raffles Institution’s gathering, says he “lost his way”
Ex-presidential candidate and former CEO of NTUC Income Tan Kin Lian took to his Facebook today (8 August) to mock Emeritus Senior Minister (ESM) Goh Chok Tong for not attending the Raffles Institution’s gathering. In his post, Mr Tan posted a picture of a group of people and said that “this is a gathering of Old Rafflesians”. He added that …
Singtel net profit hit by a massive 35% drop, dragged down by its investment in India’s Airtel
Singtel reported today (8 Aug) a 35 per cent drop in its first-quarter net profit largely dragged down by losses in its investment in India’s Bharti Airtel. Singtel posted a net profit of S$541 million for the three months ended in June, compared with S$832 million a year ago. Revenue rose 2 per cent to S$4.11 billion due to consumer …
Simon Lim: It is not Singaporeans who need to integrate with foreigners, but the way around
by Simon Lim I refer to the news about Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, calling on Singaporeans to integrate with foreigners. Meaningful and truly successful integration of different people is much more than a few noisy and visible ministerial exhortations. What Grace Fu did was the easiest part. It is a very long journey that must …
Gojek introduces new partnerships and benefits for users in the spirit of National Day
To celebrate the nation’s 54th birthday and the long weekend, GoJek Singapore has launched a series of initiatives to spread the holiday cheer to its driver-partners and customers. In a press release that was sent out earlier today (8 Aug) by GoJek, the multi-service platform technology company announced new partnerships as it aims to improve the welfare of its employees …
Deadline for PMD safety certification to be brought forward by 6 months, says LTA
Following a series of fire incidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs) that occurred in Singapore, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is all set to bring forward the UL2272 safety certification for all PMD vehicles by six months. This was announced by Senior Minister of State for Transport Lam Pin Min in Parliament. He said that the LTA will need all …
Marathoner Soh Rui Yong commences legal battle against SNOC and Singapore Athletics over recent conflicts
In the most recent development of the conflict between Singaporean long distance runner Soh Rui Yong and national sports authorities, it appears Mr Soh has sent letters to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and Singapore Athletics (SA). In a blog post on his website RunSohFast and on Facebook yesterday (7 August), Mr Soh explained that while he would not be …
Author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh slams individuals who say “brownface” concept originated in the West
On Wednesday (7 August), author and freelance writer at The Economic Intelligence Unit Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh took to his Facebook to slam individuals who said that the concept of “brownface” originated in the West. His post was referring to the recent racial saga that has been making headlines in the country for a while now. In July, an advertisement created …
PIONEER magazine goes completely digital starting next month
After 50 years, PIONEER, a magazine published by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), just released its final print copy this month. Starting from next month, the magazine will go fully online. This news was made public in their August edition’s print version, which said “Our Final Print Issue – See you online!”. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) also took to …
Beihai Asia International Arbitration Centre opens in Singapore, to be helmed by Prof Steve Ngo
The Beihai Asia International Arbitration centre (BAIAC) opens in Singapore today (8 August). The BAIAC, which was set up by the Beihai Arbitration Commission (BAC) headquartered in China, will provide more efficient and cheaper international arbitration services for small to medium value disputes in cross-border transactions, with a focus on China and Asean. The centre will form a China-Asean panel of …
Man faces up to 7 years in prison for burning the Singapore flag
A man was arrested on 7 August (Wednesday) for burning the Singapore flag, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in a statement. SPF was alerted on Sunday afternoon around 12.40pm when burnt flags were found at Block 774 Woodlands Crescent. The police managed to identify the 25-year old with the help of CCTV images. He is believed to have been …
Apex court upholds acquittal of man accused of raping lover’s daughter
The Court of Appeal on Thursday (8th August) morning upheld the decision of the High Court to acquit a 58-year-old man of five charges relating to sexual offences allegedly committed by him, finding that the Prosecution had not proven all charges beyond a reasonable doubt. The decision of the apex court ended a 5-year long ordeal suffered by Mohd Ariffan …
CPF throws another family into the spotlight after they shared how their missing father was being charged premiums for 23 years
5 August was the 23rd anniversary of the disappearance of Facebook user Yukumi Wu’s father, Mr Boo Meng Hock. Sharing a photo of the police report that was made over two decades ago, Ms Wu recounted that her father was last seen at the Singapore Island Country Club where he worked as a caddy, according to his friends. Ms Wu …
47-yr-old Singaporean and 42-yr-old Chinese national jailed for entering into Marriage of Convenience
A 47-year-old male Singaporean, Mow Cheang Chong (Mow), and a 42-year-old female Chinese national, Wang Xiaoyan (Wang), were each sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on 18 July 2019 for offences under the Immigration Act. According to the press release from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Wednesday (7 August), investigations revealed that Mow and Wang befriended each other at …
Choa Chu Kang Town Council forced to file police report over Chinese flag hanging at HDB block
It has been reported that Choa Chu Kang Town Council has lodged a police report after a China’s national flag was displayed at a HDB block. Choa Chu Kang Town Council told the media today (7 Aug) that the Chinese flag, which was displayed at Block 489B of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 5, has been taken down. Some residents had …
China high school mysteriously takes down press release of its students being awarded MOE scholarship
TOC reported last month (‘TaiAn No.1 Senior High: 4 of 20 MOE scholars for Shandong province from our school‘, 6 Jul) that Shandong Tai An Senior High School of China issued a press release in May to highlight that 4 of its students were awarded the Singapore MOE scholarship after passing the written tests and interviews with flying colors. The …
An honest reply to Education Minister Ong Ye Kung (from outside Parliament)
by Kok Ming Cheang As a true-blue Pioneer citizen who have lived through the era of our founding fathers, just reading the reported Parliamentary debate between Education Minister Ong Ye Kung and Workers’ Party Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera and MP Png Eng Huat, tells me that the Ministry of Education has a mountain of information to hide …
Valuation of unlisted assets considered in reviewing GIC and Temasek portfolio risks: Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong
The government takes into account the valuation of unlisted assets in GIC and Temasek such as private equity, infrastructure, and real estate when reviewing the overall risks of its whole portfolio of assets, said Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong on Tue (6 Aug). Responding to a Parliamentary question from Workers’ Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) …
Online users dismiss study’s claim that says Singaporeans don’t have work-life balance because they’re dedicated to their job
Based on a new study by Kisi – a keyless access technology company – released on Wednesday (7 August), it was found that Singapore performed badly when it comes to work-life balance as it placed in the bottom quarter of 40 cities. The city-state took the 32nd spot, although it is still placed higher than other selected Asian countries like …
Government to start regulating ride-hailing services like Grab and Go-Jek in 2020, from licenses to fares
The government will start regulating ride-hailing apps under the new P2P Passenger Transport Bill that was passed just yesterday (6 August). Senior Minister of State for Transport Dr Janil Puthucheary announced in Parliament just before the bill was passed that the 45,000 vehicles under ride hailing apps such as Go-Jek, Grab and Ryde will eventually come under the new regulatory …
How much Singapore spends on scholarships for foreign students compared to other countries?
We recently wrote about the government spending approximately S$238 million on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students attending schools and autonomous universities in Singapore. Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament that of the S$238 million, about S$130 million is spent on scholarships for foreign students in schools and autonomous universities while another S$108 million is spent on tuition …
Minister Masagos Zulkifli says Singapore needs to continue building its recycling capabilities, but is the Government actually doing much about it?
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli revealed on Tuesday (6 August) that around 30% of Singapore’s recyclable waste was exported overseas last year, and the remaining 60% are processed locally. “In 2018, about 30% of recyclable material, such as paper, plastics, glass and metal, was exported to countries including Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and …
NUS seeks to attract overseas Singaporean academics via grant — but many professors previously left due to high research output requirements
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is offering a S$200,000 grant to overseas Singaporean academics seeking to return to the country and to join the university as pre-tenure assistant professors, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Tue (6 Aug). Speaking at the inaugural Singaporean Researchers Global Summit held at the Regent Singapore, Mr Ong said that the grant, half …
MOE says 1.8% of budget spent on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students – that’s about 9% of what is spent on universities
Minister of Education Ong Ye Kung said in Parliament (5 August) that the government spent about $238 million in scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students. The Education Minister revealed that of the S$238 million, the government spends about $130 million on scholarships and about S$108 million on tuition grants for foreign students. In his replies to questions from Workers’ …
Singapore Writers Festival 2019 announces theme of “A Language of Our Own” and introduces new youth-centric focus
This year’s Singapore Writers Festival (SWF), themed ‘A Language of Our Own’, will explore the role of language in the expression of identities and formation of communities in the 21st century. The festival not only ushers in a new chapter in its 22nd edition but also features a new face at the helm, with poet Pooja Nansi making her debut …
MOE sets low benchmark for foreign scholars to retain their scholarship programme
On Mon (5 Aug) in parliament, in response to a question from WP NCMP Leon Perera, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung revealed that government spending on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students has fallen 50% over the past decade. It is now around $238 million, which means the annual spending in 2009 would have been $476 million. Putting this …
Jack Sim: I’m proud of my country Singapore for good reasons
by Jack Sim My National Day message for 9 August. I’m proud of my country Singapore for good reasons. Born 1957, I grew up in a slum living in an attap house . Most citizens were poor and our GDP per capita was USD 500 a year same as Mexico and South Africa on our first National Day in 1965. …
A Balancing Act – dissecting the issue on foreign scholars and tuition grants
by Yee Jenn Jong Two days ago in parliament in response to my Workers’ Party colleague Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung revealed that government spending on scholarships and tuition grants for foreign students fell 50% over the past 10 years. It is now around $238 million, which means the annual spending around 2009 …
Public advisory on scam calls impersonating ICA officers
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has issued a warning to members of the public of calls claiming to be its officers. The authority stated that members of the public have been receiving calls from different numbers, such as the Immigration Offender hotline “1800 3916150” that allows the public to call and provide information on immigration offenders and related activities. …
Two Malaysians arrested for attempting to smuggle Bangladeshi national out of Singapore
Two women were arrested on Monday (5 August) for smuggling a 31-year-old Bangladeshi national, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) stated in a press release on Tuesday. ICA stated that its officers stopped a departing Malaysia-registered car for checks at the Woodlands Checkpoint at around 8.20 pm. The car was driven by a 28-year-old Malaysian woman and she was accompanied …
Netizens show support towards marathoner Soh Rui Yong after he was blocked on social media and WhatsApp group chat by Singapore Athletics
Two-time marathon champion Soh Rui Yong is back in the limelight, and this time due to his tiff with Singapore Athletics (SA) after the organisation blocked him from posting on its social media platforms. Their disagreement came after the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) announced in a media statement on 1 August (Thursday) that the two-time marathon champion Soh Rui …

They interview all from PMO izit?

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

There is no minimum sustenance wage, long and unproductive working hours, micro mgt usu by females boss who didnt serve ns, no portable benefits, no guaranteed annual pay package always have performance component...for those with kids if kid is sick or quarantined need to find help to take care or take leave from work...crowded transport to and fro..this kind of fuck environment who wants to work

 

[knowwhatyouwantinlife]

Work / Life balance is and individual choice.

If Singaporeans choose to work long hours so they can afford their fancy phones and Euro cars it is lifestyle that they have imposed upon themselves.

I would have to work a lot harder in NZ if I wanted fancy luxuries. However I am quite happy traveling around on my PMD and thus keep my overheads low.

The reward is that I don't have to work more than 4 hours a day.

You forgot to mention Burmese tea leave salad is also cheap to make though pungent at times

 

[sweetiepie]

KNN the best job with a complete work life balance is those singles taxi driver kopi uncle drive a few hours park it and go turf club recharge for 1 or 2 hours then continue drive a few hrs then go viet club and wait for viet bu go supper then go pumping KNN

 

[nayr69sg]

Simi Ranjiao is work life balance? HR nothing better to invent come up with such stupid millennial concept to attract talent lah.

Con job.

What you really want is a job that pays well enough that you only need to work a few years and then retire.

Work life balance just means come come work for me long long while I con you with lower salary knowing eventually I will get rid of you anyway.

 

[eatshitndie]

Con job.

What you really want is a job that pays well enough that you only need to work a few years and then retire.

Work life balance just means come come work for me long long while I con you with lower salary knowing eventually I will get rid of you anyway.

for many sinkie unkers sexcellent work-life balance means making enough money by driving for grab in order to buy 4d and bang a prostitute at geylang once in 6.9 days.

 

[laksaboy]

In some ancient cultures, it is glorious to die on the battlefield.

In Sinkieland of today, it is a privilege to work until you die, preferably at an old age.

 

[sweetiepie]

for many sinkie unkers sexcellent work-life balance means making enough money by driving for grab in order to buy 4d and bang a prostitute at geylang once in 6.9 days.

KNN banging prostitutes at geylang everything will be over at max 69mins with $169 KNN then will be back to life work imbalance KNN they would prefer to play the ownership game stretching 696mins over a 6.9days period KNN

 

[laksaboy]

KNN banging prostitutes at geylang everything will be over at max 69mins with $169 KNN then will be back to life work imbalance KNN they would prefer to play the ownership game stretching 696mins over a 6.9days period KNN

Prostitutes should have a QR code tattoo on their thigh or crotch, you scan the code with your phone to facilitate E-pay cashless payment.

 

[jw5]

Keep up the hard work!

 

[eatshitndie]

Prostitutes should have a QR code tattoo on their thigh or crotch, you scan the code with your phone to facilitate E-pay cashless payment.

must scan when it's dry. otherwise when wet can cause visual issues, especially when slimy, slurpy and slippery.

 

[winnipegjets]

SINKees like it this way. What is work-life balance when you have no money? SINKees want pure capitalism. Anything short is a slap on the face of Lee CON Yew.