SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old Singaporean man who was shown his contract only on the first day he reported to work asked for advice online after he saw how bad the conditions were. He explained that he felt sian and stupid for getting into this situation.
Reddit users commenting on his post advised him to just walk away from the job.
The post author wrote that he had willingly taken a pay cut, as well as faced a longer commute, in comparison to his previous job, after his contract ended.
“I thought this job role and scope are closer to my skill-set and expertise, and I can actually contribute in a meaningful way here. Plus, let’s be honest, to have a job is better than no job in this economy, right?” he wrote.
On his first day, the woman from the HR department in his new job showed him the contract for the first time. He explained that he had previously asked to see the contract and discuss its details, but the woman had refused, saying that signing and details would only be done on his first day.
However, he described his benefits as “VERY BAD” with only seven days of annual leave, no Annual Wage Supplement (13th month payment) or other bonuses.
When he sat down to calculate his salary in comparison to his former pay package, it meant he would be “down almost 50%” if he took into account the amount of leaves when encashed.
Although he asked her for some time before signing, he said that he later “basically caved” and signed the contract “under pressure.”
On the one hand, he finds the employees and bosses at the company to be nice, and the workload and job scope are up his alley.
“Seems like it’ll be a wonderful place to work if money and leaves are not a concern,” he wrote, but added, “…at the same time, I honestly feel like a renumeration package like that will be damaging to my career and my investment/savings goal. Plus, only seven days leave, [where can I travel]?!”
Ironically, he had turned down three other job offers that were paying a little bit more, thinking that the company he chose would provide him with growth opportunities.
Many commenters told him he would be better off seeking greener pastures.
“Leave. Don’t bet your career on friendly bosses. Friendly bosses are not going to pay your bills or bring you closer to your retirement plans,” one wrote, adding that if they were really “good people,” his contract would not have had such poor benefits.
Others also advised him to leave, saying that it had been a red flag when HR did not show him the contract in advance.
“Do you have emergency savings of three to six months to reject this job and find another job with better pay and perks? Once you accept this job, this will be your last drawn salary, and basically, you are walking backwards in terms of career progression. Seven days’ annual leave and no bonuses, not even a 13-month pay, sounds like a really s****y deal. You need to seriously consider this, it WILL affect you financially, mentally, if you proceed,” warned another. /TISG
Read also: What fresh grads can do in the face of fewer vacancies, tougher job market