SINGAPORE: A Reddit user asked a question into the void of the Internet and was not disappointed, as his Q has received hundreds of As with many taking the question seriously.
“If you are offer(ed) $5,000 per month for a cleaner job in Singapore at a hawker center or shopping mall, will you accept it?” asked u/Striking-Mushroom226 on r/AskSingapore on Thursday (Apr 11).
The Ministry of Manpower says that under the Progressive Wage Model for the cleaning sector implemented in 2022, a General or Indoor cleaner should be paid at least $1,570 per month, while a Table-top cleaner must earn $1,670 monthly.
Dishwashers, refuse collectors, and restroom cleaners at Food and Beverage Establishments, such as hawker centres, food courts, and restaurants, should get paid at least $1,795 a month.
Read also: Lecturer who earned RM1900 in Malaysia now earns RM11000 as a cleaner in Singapore
But back to the Reddit post. One much-upvoted comment had a Reddit user saying that he would possibly say yes to a high-paying cleaning job if he were already aged 45 or 50, adding, “Currently i still have potential and work achievements i am aiming so not now.”
Another agreed, chiming in, “I agree too, there’s still potential for career growth. Not so if you’re old unfortunately.”
“I am thinking of winding down my career, and 5k for manual labour sounds good,” one Reddit user noted.
One commenter answered very enthusiastically, writing, “Yeah I would. Good pay, low stress, small list of easy physical responsibilities. Sure it will get looked down upon as a low-ses position but for $5k you betcha I’m signing up.”
Another said yes, as long as the working hours would be “reasonable,” and added that he did not want to work after mall hours.
One commenter, on the other hand, said no, but if left with little choice, would see it as a possibility.
“The pay sounds decent but I don’t see myself doing this in the long run. If I’ve been retrenched, my entire industry has been made redundant, and I have no transferrable skills left, I might consider it.”
Another commenter urged everyone to apply the Japanese concept of ikigai when considering the question.
“Ikigai… describes the components of an ideal job. There are 4 main components, which are: What you are GOOD AT, What you LOVE, What the WORLD NEEDS, What you can be PAID FOR.
“A cleaner job is something our society can be appreciative of. Your scenario makes it a well paying job. The considerations then would be to ask yourself; would you enjoy cleaning? Are you good at it?” /TISG