- Joined
- Jul 29, 2008
- Messages
- 2,615
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To sum up, some of my suggestions are as follows:
a) Make the EP online system and WDA databank to be job function and competency based, rather than the current 'descriptive' job title, qualification,and min salary. This will enable the MOM officers to better assess the suitability of the right candidate. The databank is also a powerful analaytical tool to enbale MOM and WDA to gauage the skills and competencies required and help to train S'poreans in these areas.
b) Include a housing allowance entry. I think we should distinguish between the real 'wealth creators'. If the FT is good, I am sure the company will be willing to provide for their housing package to relocate. If the company is not willing to provide such package, then why not employ S'poreans in the first place? No point getting in Indians, Filippinos or PRCs who can only cramp and sublet out to a few persons in renting a HDB flat or room. Record is 22 PRCs in a 4 room HDB flat so far, fyi. How much economic effect can these people spin off to the S'pore economy? Most of their monies are remitted back home.
c) Make person who is applying the EP via EP online be a 'designated person' (DSP) and be liable legally. He/she must be well-trained in HR and conversant with MOM labour laws and requirements. The job ad and databank posting should be done by the same person. DSP should clear state the job functions and requirements and provide evidence of mapping the competencies of the candidate in the databank and EP online system. This can avoid the case like the Bank of China, getting a Chinese accounting grad from China to advise on S'pore banking laws and compliance matters (in English)! This also raise up the HR professional standards in the long run.
d) Can consider issuing a "Provisional EP" "(PEP) (say 6 mths) to further reinforce, and cover hirings where the company insists, but MOM's review may deemed the person to be not fully suitable / competent for the job (again, using the Bank of China example). This gives some 'flexibility' and leeway to companies and a chance to carefully evaluate the candidate on the job. The renewal of the PEP again, would require the company to post the renewal application and job opening via the WDA databank.
e) A key challenge is the mid-management level who might be controlling the hiring process. Hiring their own kind must be prevented (example Citibank). As to how, this may pose to be a tough question. Maybe, the DSP should be made to sit in (and declare doing so) with the hiring manager (if he/she is not local), and onus is on the DSP to explain the job function and competency mapping process requirements to the hiring manager. The EP online and databank info can also perhaps red flag when certain over concentration of foreigners (in particular of the same nationality) in certain segments or in a company (again, CItibank example, how come nearly the whole compliance team are indians?). If such behaviour persists, then MOM can follow up to enforce and ask the company to show that it has duly advertise and applications from S'poreans are reviewed and considered first. Eg: show 10 Sporeans applicants. If they cant produce such evidence, then fine, impose quota restriction or raise the Sporeans ratio (10: 1).
f) Dependent Pass (DP). This should be reviewed. If Sporeans with foreign spouses (some even with kids) are facing difficulties in getting PR or LT pass for the foreign spouses to stay, then why should, say an Indian or Fillipino be allowed to bring in whole family, kids and sometimes grandparents (lock stock and barrel) on DP? Foreign spouses can help to boost up birthrate. What can grandparents do? Look after the grandchildren? EPs are after all, to boost our workforce. Also suggest to include a cell entry to indicate the allocation of the EP's salary to support the DPs. We dont want DPs to be "moonlighting" do we (google and you can find many Filippinos, PRCs and Indians are doing so)? Or if the grandparents falls ill, have no income and there is not enough to cover medical bills. Who is going to foot the bills? Taxpayers?
a) Make the EP online system and WDA databank to be job function and competency based, rather than the current 'descriptive' job title, qualification,and min salary. This will enable the MOM officers to better assess the suitability of the right candidate. The databank is also a powerful analaytical tool to enbale MOM and WDA to gauage the skills and competencies required and help to train S'poreans in these areas.
b) Include a housing allowance entry. I think we should distinguish between the real 'wealth creators'. If the FT is good, I am sure the company will be willing to provide for their housing package to relocate. If the company is not willing to provide such package, then why not employ S'poreans in the first place? No point getting in Indians, Filippinos or PRCs who can only cramp and sublet out to a few persons in renting a HDB flat or room. Record is 22 PRCs in a 4 room HDB flat so far, fyi. How much economic effect can these people spin off to the S'pore economy? Most of their monies are remitted back home.
c) Make person who is applying the EP via EP online be a 'designated person' (DSP) and be liable legally. He/she must be well-trained in HR and conversant with MOM labour laws and requirements. The job ad and databank posting should be done by the same person. DSP should clear state the job functions and requirements and provide evidence of mapping the competencies of the candidate in the databank and EP online system. This can avoid the case like the Bank of China, getting a Chinese accounting grad from China to advise on S'pore banking laws and compliance matters (in English)! This also raise up the HR professional standards in the long run.
d) Can consider issuing a "Provisional EP" "(PEP) (say 6 mths) to further reinforce, and cover hirings where the company insists, but MOM's review may deemed the person to be not fully suitable / competent for the job (again, using the Bank of China example). This gives some 'flexibility' and leeway to companies and a chance to carefully evaluate the candidate on the job. The renewal of the PEP again, would require the company to post the renewal application and job opening via the WDA databank.
e) A key challenge is the mid-management level who might be controlling the hiring process. Hiring their own kind must be prevented (example Citibank). As to how, this may pose to be a tough question. Maybe, the DSP should be made to sit in (and declare doing so) with the hiring manager (if he/she is not local), and onus is on the DSP to explain the job function and competency mapping process requirements to the hiring manager. The EP online and databank info can also perhaps red flag when certain over concentration of foreigners (in particular of the same nationality) in certain segments or in a company (again, CItibank example, how come nearly the whole compliance team are indians?). If such behaviour persists, then MOM can follow up to enforce and ask the company to show that it has duly advertise and applications from S'poreans are reviewed and considered first. Eg: show 10 Sporeans applicants. If they cant produce such evidence, then fine, impose quota restriction or raise the Sporeans ratio (10: 1).
f) Dependent Pass (DP). This should be reviewed. If Sporeans with foreign spouses (some even with kids) are facing difficulties in getting PR or LT pass for the foreign spouses to stay, then why should, say an Indian or Fillipino be allowed to bring in whole family, kids and sometimes grandparents (lock stock and barrel) on DP? Foreign spouses can help to boost up birthrate. What can grandparents do? Look after the grandchildren? EPs are after all, to boost our workforce. Also suggest to include a cell entry to indicate the allocation of the EP's salary to support the DPs. We dont want DPs to be "moonlighting" do we (google and you can find many Filippinos, PRCs and Indians are doing so)? Or if the grandparents falls ill, have no income and there is not enough to cover medical bills. Who is going to foot the bills? Taxpayers?
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