SINGAPORE: A foreign worker seeking to work in Singapore has been advised to decline a job that was offered to him before being rescinded and re-offered with a sizeable pay cut.
The worker, a 23-year-old fresh graduate, took to Reddit and revealed that he was offered a position in Singapore with a salary of S$3,000 per month before withdrawing the offer under the pretext that they could not “manage to apply” for an Employment Pass for him.
A few days later, however, the company re-offered the same position to him with a slashed salary of S$2,400 a month, explaining that they will apply for an S Pass instead.
The young man shared that most likely will reject the offer because the pay may not be enough for him to cope with rental fees and the high cost of living in Singapore. He, however, sought advice from Singaporeans before officially declining the role because he is “pretty desperate to get a job.”
Most commenters urged the young man to listen to his gut and decline the job.
One comment, with over 100 upvotes, advised: “Don’t take it. Think about the impact that taking a 20% haircut will have down the line when you negotiate a pay raise or for another job.”
Another top comment echoed, “Don’t lowball yourself bro. They are testing you to see how low you will bend for them.”
Others, however, pointed out that the company could be offering a lower salary because they would have to fork out close to $600 monthly for the S Pass levy if they hire him.
One commenter, kwpang, said: “The company’s budget didn’t change. A portion of it just went to your SPass monthly levy. They’re not lowballing you. You don’t have to force yourself to accept it either. Just explain to them nicely that the drop in money is too much, and you won’t be accepting. It’s not really anyone’s fault.”
Others advised that the young man should make a decision based on how scarce he thinks job opportunities are.
One commenter said, “How confident are you in finding a higher pay role? If you are confident, reject the offer and continue finding or nego your way out. If you are not confident and lack of money, I say go for it. Take the job, gain experience and try next time once a better opportunity arise.”
The young man expressed confidence in being able to land another job with the pay package he is seeking and revealed that he has another freelance role and is not in such a rush to find another job as soon as possible.
TISG/