SINGAPORE: A Malaysian working at a mini-market in Singapore shared on social media that she earns only S$1,700 a month despite working 13.5 hours a day.
She posted on the r/askSingapore Reddit forum on Tuesday (Dec 10) that she decided to move and work in Singapore to save money for her university fees in Malaysia.
However, after just two weeks on the job, she said she already feels mentally and physically drained as her boss has been overloading her with tasks and extending her work hours to 13.5 hours per day—or even longer.
“While my title is ‘staff,’ I feel like I’m doing almost everything in the store,” she said.
“My tasks include stocking and organizing shelves, cleaning the store, receiving and handling inventory, assisting customers, occasionally doing cashier duties when needed, and any other tasks my employer assigns.”
To make things worse, the worker said her boss owns two stores, and whenever an employee at the other store takes leave, she is forced to give up her rest days to work there instead.
“There’s no formal contract, and my overtime (OT) pay is just SGD 5 per hour, far below the standard 1.5x rate,” she wrote. She also described her living situation, noting that she resides in her employer’s house and must pay S$100 monthly for water bills.
“I checked the MoM website, and it seems like some of the practices here might be illegal, but when I brought it up to my employer, he brushed it off, saying: ‘Other people are the same,’” she added.
Worried that her employer might be taking advantage of her, she asked others in the Reddit community whether ‘these conditions are normal in the industry or whether she’s being overly sensitive.’
“I’m considering whether I should try negotiating for better conditions (though I doubt it’ll work) or find another job, even if it delays my savings plan,” she said.
“I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but this situation is starting to feel impossible. If anyone has been through something similar or has advice, I’d really appreciate hearing from you.”
“I feel like you are severely underpaid…”
In the discussion thread, many pointed out that the lack of a formal contract, long working hours, and insufficient overtime pay are concerning red flags.
Some also said she was ‘being exploited’ and suggested that she document everything, including the number of hours worked and tasks assigned, in case she needs to report the situation to the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) or seek legal advice.
One Redditor said, “I feel like you are severely underpaid. A few ex-colleagues from Malaysia I’ve known from the previous company are earning $2.2K~$2.4K entry level. They could be earning well over $3K now.
They are not uni grads. Office job 9-6, no need work on Sat. Of course, they have to deal with the rent cost. Depending on your education level, $1.7k feels off for me.”
Another commented, “Do you have a valid work pass? If you do not, you might want to speak to MoM about this because what your boss does is illegal.
Or speak to the migrant worker centre. Please remove yourself from this situation ASAP; it might affect your chances if you intend to work in Singapore next time.”
A third expressed, “I’m sorry, $1700 for 13.5 hours a day is nuts. Your job is worse than the bottom of the barrel dip ed; please complain. It’s not ungrateful, leh; what kind of condition is this? Please go to MoM.”
Employers who mistreat their foreign workers can face penalties
Foreign workers in Singapore are protected by the country’s laws, which means employers who mistreat their workers can face penalties.
Regarding working hours, foreign workers should not work more than 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week unless they are engaged in shift work. Any hours worked beyond this are considered overtime, and workers are entitled to extra pay—1.5 times their regular hourly rate.
Workers are also entitled to one rest day per week. If an employer requests them to work on their rest day, they must compensate them with double pay for that day.
Featured image by Depositphotos(for illustration purposes only)