Employee working with documents in his office
Company plans to cut Singapore worker’s salary by 40% after probation, gives him 1 week to decide: ‘What would you do?’
SINGAPORE: An aggrieved worker has shared that his company plans to cut his salary by as much as 40%, just two months after he passed his probation.
Detailing his dilemma in a post on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, the worker said he currently holds a managerial role at a small agency. He joined the company at the start of the year and passed his probation in June.
He said he was never given any probation goals and was confirmed by the higher-ups without any written targets. He was merely assured afterwards that he would receive guidance and support, but claimed that this never materialised.
Two months after he was confirmed, the leadership began conducting a series of performance reviews. The reviews took place over several weeks, and according to the man, they all pointed to the same conclusion: he was “working below the level” he was being paid for.
The man said he disagreed with the findings and made his position clear to the company. Although he admitted that he had his “slip-ups here and there,” as anyone would, he did not believe they amounted to what the leadership was claiming.
Recently, he was asked to attend what was presented as a “casual catch-up.” He said he was then suddenly told that his salary would be cut by 40%.
“I was told there was a 40% pay cut effective immediately, with my title unchanged, and I’ll still work at my current capacity. I get 6 months to reach the level that pay matches, then another 6 to get back to my current level, and only then would they restore my pay. So the cut could run up to 12 months.”
There was, he said, no letter, no email, no terms, nothing in writing, yet he was expected to respond within about a week. A cut that steep, he noted, would hit hard given his family and housing commitments.
“What gets me is that the first formal measure of my performance only showed up after I was confirmed, the support I was promised never came, and the cut is based on reviews I don't agree with. It also feels odd to get hit with a pay cut in a casual chat and then be pushed for an answer without a single document,” he said.
“For what it's worth, the culture here has leaned towards picking one person to blame when things go wrong, and I feel like I've become that person. That's my perception, and I know I could be biased.”
Seeking advice from fellow workers, he asked whether they would accept the pay cut, try to negotiate, or start looking for another job.
“If you'd negotiate, what would you ask for?” he went on. “A smaller cut, a shorter period, terms in writing, clear criteria for getting the pay back, a check-in at 3 months? Is a cut like this after confirmation normal in Singapore, and do they need my written agreement? And has anyone here actually had their pay restored after a plan like this, or just do usually people just leave.”
‘It’s an old-school tactic’
Commenters overwhelmingly concluded the company is trying to force him out.
One said they don't understand firms that mistreat their workers like this.
“I frankly don’t get companies who do this and expect their employees to stay effective. My only guess is that they want you to quit on your own accord while giving you some room to search for another job,” one user said.
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Another called it a “bad sign,” adding, “To be frank, it leaves you with no choice but to quit because they have already black marked you. If all of them gang up on you with such accusations, then you know what the culture is from within. If you stay, they know you are desperate and have control over you ‘politically’,” another wrote.
A third called it an “old-school tactic from their parents' era.”
Meanwhile, others urged him to document everything and report the matter to the authorities.
“Since they never provided you with any documentation on the cut, you don’t have to provide any response also. Once they cut your salary, ask them formally for the reasons why it was cut and if it is an ‘administrative error.’ Once they reply in writing, take it and report to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM),” one said.
Per the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers cannot alter employment terms without the worker's consent. Every change to contract details must be agreed by both parties. If no agreement is reached, the original contractual terms must stand.