SINGAPORE: A man took to Reddit to ask if it was a red flag that his employer had asked him to start working immediately, even though he had not officially joined the company yet.
Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Tuesday (Feb 25), he wrote, “My employer already asked me to do ad hoc work. [I] haven’t even signed the offer letter yet. [Is this a] red flag? [Should I] run?”
Many commenters did not hesitate to voice their concerns, emphasizing that requiring someone to work before a contract is signed is not only unprofessional but also highly questionable.
One commenter, who had been working for over a decade, said he had never encountered anything like this before and was shocked that an employer would even try to pull something like this. He added, “The audacity is unreal.”
Others warned that this kind of behaviour is often a preview of what’s to come, especially in smaller companies where boundaries between work and personal time can become blurred.
One shared, “Definitely must run. I have had the same experience (SME), and it was a crazy lady boss. She made me do 2 million things before I started, telling me, ‘It’s better for you to start working on it now so it will not be so painful when you join officially’. Now, she micromanages me, and she calls me a lot when it is WFH day (ONCE a week).”
Still, not everyone saw it as a definite dealbreaker. A few Redditors suggested that the man should ask if he’d be paid for the work before rejecting it.
One said, “I’ve done this before, but my boss paid me for it. Negotiate a freelance rate? Not a terrible deal, to be honest.”
Another added, “Depends on what kind of work. If it’s asking you to learn on your own so you can level up before you report on first day, then I think it’s still ok. Perhaps check with them on why they asked you to work before you sign the employment letter?”
According to Indeed, it’s always a good idea to sign an employment contract before starting any job. This document acts as a legal agreement that clearly lays out important details like your salary, job responsibilities, working hours, and other employment terms. Without it, there’s no official proof of what was agreed upon, which could leave you vulnerable to last-minute changes or unfair treatment.
Read also: ‘I endured 11 months of workplace bullying when I was financially strapped’ — Employee
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