Woman rejects remote job from Singapore-based company over RM3,000 salary and lack of benefits: ‘This wasn’t a missed opportunity, it was me dodging the wrong one’

SINGAPORE: While some people would jump at the chance to work for a Singapore-based company, one Threads user said she turned down an offer after deciding the pay and working conditions simply weren’t worth it.

In her post, user nvdivrz walked readers through the hiring process, sharing that she had interviewed for what she said was a remote customer service role with a Singapore-based company.

She said she made it through the interview and eventually received an offer. But as she went through the employment terms, she quickly realised the role wasn’t quite what she’d expected.

For one, the job allegedly required a six-day workweek, with the only weekly rest day arranged by the manager. She also claimed there was no annual leave, no days off on public holidays and not even medical leave.

“For me this is not typical practice, especially for a company based in Singapore, where labour regulations are generally stricter than that. Even if the role was somehow structured under a different arrangement, those conditions still lean heavily toward being unfavourable.”

The pay didn’t do much to change her mind either.

The company allegedly offered RM3,000 (~ S$945) a month. With more than three years of customer service experience under her belt, she felt the figure didn’t reflect either her experience or the demands of the role, particularly when paired with what she saw as a lack of basic employment benefits.

Rather than walking away immediately, she decided to see if there was room to negotiate.

She asked whether the company would consider RM3,500 (~ S$1,102) instead. To her, it wasn’t an unreasonable ask but a fair adjustment, especially given everything the role seemed to demand.

The company, however, wasn’t willing to budge.

“That was the moment I had to choose between settling or standing my ground. So I declined. I know deep down that accepting those conditions might have cost me more in the long run. My energy, my health, and maybe even my self-respect,” she wrote.

She added that the whole experience had made her realise something important. “Getting an offer isn’t the finish line. It’s also about whether the offer respects my time, my effort, and my worth. Maybe this wasn’t a missed opportunity. Maybe it was me dodging the wrong one.”

“Good thing you declined”

Many in the comments commended the Threads user for standing her ground and knowing her worth.

One wrote, “Glad that you declined such ridiculous offers. The more people realise this, the better it is for future employees.”

Another commented, “These are SMEs probably trying to cut costs on labour. Glad you declined it! Know your worth. And frankly, local companies by the locals won’t do that because they know the consequences of flouting the labour law.”

A third told her, “I’m a Singaporean. To me this company is a red flag. This is not the minimum wage even for a cleaner job.”

A fourth added, “It’s not even S$1k for an SG-based company. Good thing you declined.”

In other news, a woman has claimed on social media that a Grab driver kept her waiting for nearly an hour before cancelling the ride and falsely claiming to Grab that she was travelling with children.

In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, she said she booked a Grab Premium from HarbourFront at 11:49 p.m., with an initial ETA of eight minutes. The driver later messaged to say he was dropping off another passenger and asked if she didn’t mind waiting. She agreed.

Read more: ‘I suddenly became a parent’: Woman says Grab driver falsely claimed she was travelling with children