SINGAPORE: An employee took to social media to weigh the pros and cons of a switch from a work-from-office (WFO) to a hybrid work-from-home (WFH) setup, asking Singaporeans for insights on how much of a pay cut they would be willing to take for such a shift.
“My scenario is that I have a one hour and 15-minute commute each way via public transport (that adds up to two hours and 30 minutes each day, which is a lot of time spent in commute),” the writer shared in a forum on Monday (March 3). “And sometimes, I’d spend money to grab home to save time and energy.”
According to the post, the writer cannot do a fully remote setup, as his job requires him to be on-site occasionally. “So my best bet is to request [a] hybrid WFH [setup],” he said. “No reason for me to be fully WFO because most of the time I can do my work from my laptop, and I even communicate to my boss via texting and rarely have meetings.”
This led him to the question, “[What percentage] of a pay cut would you negotiate for this? I am thinking of proposing 5%, and the maximum is 10%. Please let me know if you have any advice on what I can use as leverage or if there are some good points I can mention. I’ve been at this job for a little over a year, and I’m getting super burnt out by fully WFO with these commuting hours, so I’ve even resorted to considering a pay cut, which I’m fully willing to take.
“I have previously asked if I could WFH, but my manager rejected it because the higher management is super old school and doesn’t like their staff being WFH. But there are like one to two senior people I know that WFH because of health conditions, and (as for) the other one, I’m not sure what terms they negotiated on. I’m even surprised I lasted this long at this job, so I’m trying to last longer by negotiating for better terms.”
A handful responded to the post with their take on the situation, with a number of them discouraging the writer from taking a pay cut. “You are more likely to be granted WFH privileges if you can make a compelling case for improved productivity,” said one. “Do not simply just ask WFH without anything to back it up. I would instead pitch a hybrid WFH proposal that highlights your ability to be more productive in lieu of commute hours and more efficient days in the office. Your manager may be reluctant, so you can suggest a trial period and reassess. Do not mention a pay cut.”
“Just ask and don’t mention a pay cut,” said another, while a third wrote, “I took a nine per cent pay cut and now fully WFH.”
Still, one answered, “At worst, 10 per cent, at best, zero per cent. My current position was advertised as 100 per cent WFO. I currently do 1/5 WFH. These things sometimes have to ask one, but I’m of the perspective that it is easier to advertise/start strict than let go a bit later. Having said that, NO LA, I will not choose a 1-hour and 15-minute each-way type of job to start with… 1-hour max or two transfers (NEL to Serangoon and then Serangoon to CCL station is already two) is my limit. Because you’ve still got to factor time waiting for bus/MRT if u occasionally or not-so-occasionally want to Grab…that sort.”
See also: Corporate woman struggles whether to stay or walk away from her toxic workplace
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