Hi Gilbert,
I’m a 39-year-old unemployed sales and marketing professional residing in Tampines GRC. After sending out tons of application emails and going for more than a dozen of interviews for the past year, I realised how much discrimination potential job seekers have faced from our Singaporean employers.
These employers, despite crying foul that local job seekers are fussy and choosy, are the ones that are doing all the bad deeds. If you look through most companies’ job application forms or website, you will find questions that already pre-screened a potential candidates on their health and whether they are ex-offenders. So through these questions if one answers truthfully, then you are very likely not able to receive any reply at all.
So it means if you are a cancer survivor, a handicapped person or an ex-offender (be it a minor offence – fined or murderer) it doesn’t matter. Most employers would see you as a burden or liability. This is because they think that even if you are cured of cancer, you may have a relapse and cause the company medical costs and downtime in the future and as an ex-offender, you won’t change for the better.
I see this as a major discrimination in our re employment situation here - who says just because a person is handicapped, he or she can’t be a data entry clerk or admin assistant?
I’ve a pacemaker implant due to some irregular heartbeat but other than having to go for yearly cheackup once a year, I’m perfectly healthy and as I explained to my potential employers, they can even exclude me from medical coverage for heart conditions yet this fell on deaf ears!
The Home Ministry kept campaigning about the Yellow Ribbon Project but how receptive are employers about employing reformed ex-prisoners in actual fact?
In the first place, the Civil Services don’t even endorse it. How many ex-offenders are employed in the Civil Services or even Stat Boards? Why didn’t the government take the lead and walk the talk?
I personally felt that the government should take the lead in passing legislations to prevent employers from asking those discriminating questions on potential job seekers and also ensure that employers provide equal employment opportunities for ex-offenders.
I’m turning 40 years old this year so it would be even tougher for me to seek employment despite having about 20 years of working experience. So while employers continue to whine about difficulties in getting local workers and thinks foreigners are cheaper alternatives for this I truly support the government’s effort in raising the foreign workers levy so that they feel the pinch now and start looking at us.
Last but not least, to all workers coming to 40 years of age, stay in your current employment no matter what is the problem at work as once you are out, you are not only out but down too and if you don’t have much medical coverage, medical costs would burdened you very heavily.
Re employment will also be a big issue for you…
Andrew
Despite all the glorying headlines we read about the low unemployment rate here, it is highly question after reading so many people in the 30s to 50s suffering the plight of joblessness. We should know the true picture of the jobless situation here.
At the rate the problems are popping out, more voices will be heard.
There is too much discrimination. I too am wearing a pacemaker and an artificial heart valve. But whenever I declare my medical condition in their application form, I will never hear from them again.
The fact is that my medical condition does not affect my performance if it is an admin job.
Sigh…what else can I say???
In most developed countries, it is not legally right to ask the candidate about his or her health conditions, because it amounts to a form of discrimination against the person. Singapore is behaving in a distinctively 3rd world country mindset by demanding to know the candidate’s health condition, and judging based on health, and age.
Hi Kelvin, thanks for sharing and be proud as a heart condition sufferer. I guess many employers are just simply kiasu and not want to waste time on potential candidates with medical conditions like us.
My take on this matter is just don’t declare about your medical conditions, at least when things happen, you just loose your job only. It’s still better than not having a job right now, at least you don’t have to worry about your financial burden temporary.
Good luck.
As I read the papers, I realised that the discriminations in fact have increased even when times are good. Discriminations have gone into the extent of educational background. I was even told by some friends in the HR departments that some of their bosses asked them to shortlist only those from NUS, NTU or reputable uni only, those who got their degrees from distance learning or part-time basis need not call for interview.
I was called up by a so-called headhunter about 2 weeks ago on a Snr Marketing Manager position and was told that I’m so qualified for it but upon giving them the green light to set up the interview, I heard nothing of the enthusiatic recruiter’s voice since then until this morning’s email. In her email reply, she claimed that the company’s bosses love my employment experiences and exposures and I was a perfect fit for the position however my long term continuity and productivity are questionable since their industry is so competitive. They even went on to say that the pay package that I was asking for were affordable to them. Well, when I questioned the recruiter over the phone after reading the email, her politically tactful answer was that the bosses weren’t certain that I would be able to survive the fast paced working environment given my health and also age.
At this point in time, I told off the recruiter to tell her that in future please tell potential employers that I’m a truthful and honest candidate and I appreciate that they reciprocate with the same gesture even if they intend to discriminate me. At for this employer, I would boycott their stores for their discriminatory acts.
Gilbert, I would suggest that your site compile a list with contributions from all readers, supporters and visitors of discriminating companies or employers so that as Singaporeans, we stand united and boycott their business. Eventhough as candidates there is little we can do about their discriminations but as consumers, we sure as hell can exercise our consumer rights.
Thanks.
@Andrew Soh, I agree with you about this. As candidates, we have little say, but as consumers, we can boycott their stores. I have had a friend who was always going on that if we boycott everything, then we won’t need to eat or survive. But this boils down to more than that. Would we rather sacrifice our own sense of ethics and integrity to the sense of convenience, and hence, sell ourselves short for the sake of saving a few more minutes or cents? I am boycotting a few stores and have done it with effect from some time back.
Good on you Kev, I’m doing the same. felt good on my conscience as always.
Oh the life!! it is so nice to see you guys have fun!! LOVE the shot of the three of you jumping in the pool!! and you’re right, that tree MUST be phoogtraphed! It deserves to after all it’s perseverance growing on that hillside.Looking forward to Crete part 2 you make my day!!
I want to apply the principle of Singaporeans First in my day-to-day dealings as a customer with people who are serving me. When a store employs foreigners en masse, I boycott them, or demand that I get served by the local. That is the least I can demand as a customer. If I get telemarketeers who are Filipina, I tell them directly that I do not do business with foreigners like them because I am on a Singaporeans First policy. It stuns them with shock, and as much as I hate to sound xenophobic, I think that if I cannot understand one word of what they are saying as well, any kind of communication is futile. People overseas in other countries like Australia and Canada and the USA expect immigrants to be able to speak English properly without the encumbrances of their original country’s accent or slang(hence, no Singlish), and surely right here in singapore, we can demand that foreigners do not speak in Chinglish nor Pinoy-glish.
Hi Kev
That’s very brave and conscientious of you to do that!
Don’t your boss enquired you on this stand?
Take care and keep up the good work. We need more Singaporeans like you!
Gilbert
Hi Gilbert, as a part-time tutor here, before I fly off the end of September for greener pastures, my direct ‘boss’ is Singaporean and she herself employs mostly Singaporeans for the work, with the exception of some Chinese from mainland China who have been here for many years(probably permanent residents or new citizens already by now) as Chinese tutors. She herself told me she has nothing against foreigners since she said they came here for the sake of having a better life, but of course, she acknowledges as a Singaporean too that she is aware that a lot of them take and leave, as this couple whom she used to tutor the kid of, migrated after 3-5 years in Singapore for Australia. Maybe it is because I myself get discriminated before at the workplace as a Singaporean, and that leads me to have this strong sense that we cannot take for granted this status quo. Other Singaporeans might beg to differ with me and call me xenophobic, although I do not agree. I have nothing against foreigners if they come here and contribute in a positive capacity and are truly talents. I have problems with those who come to take and leave, and even despise the very country that they migrated to in hopes of a better life and its people, and also, I have problems with the government which opens its arms to them without a care for its own citizens, telling us to “bear with it” in the name of globalization.
Called CDC to ask where PMETs can look for jobs?!
Guess what is the reply?? “We expect you all to look on your own!!!!!” CDC
What about Discrimmination based on race? Infact,the most of recruitment firms are only asking for specific race.It is though the other races,does not matter! when we call the recruitment agency’s,they say “WE NEED ONLY THIS RACE”……THERE IS NO LEGISTLATION TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST DISCRIMMINATION
Unemployment rate in Singapore is at 2% but getting a job is so tough..been looking since 5mths n still unemployed…employers put in discriminatory ads like MUST read n write Chinese, all in bold n red letters…this is so disheartening…as we are as Singaporeans with multi races of ChineseIndiansMalays….I put all of us together as that is what the Singapore National pledge says united as 1… But am not sure whether we are united as 1 at all…now foreigners are coming in taking our rice bowl for lower level to higher level jobs….
Banks calling for payments due to loans and cost of living is going up…how to survive with young kids to feed, which is important…not sure where are heading to…PRCs are rude n killing people recklessly…they steal…n now they are driving buses…not sure when they going to kill he next Singaporean on the streets as their driving is so dangerous n reckless…they can’t even speak a word of good English….
Filipinos…oh goodness they are everywhere…can’t understand what type of English they are speaking….is Singapore a gold mine for foreigners to come…make their money…buy house n sell house…take their CPF n return back to their country n pass the baton to the next foreigner…
Why are the older or ageing population been shunned away for getting jobs…they are more skilled n experienced and should he given opportunities to grow with the next generations to come…are they not older officials in our government cabinets….they are not shunned right…in fact they much appreciated and loved by the people of Singapore….so let’s work together to build our nation as 1 united People….
Hi Jobless Mom Of Desperate, in regards to your mentioning of employers only recruiting workers tat can only read or write bilingually. Frankly I don’t see it as discriminating cause in some line of work there are really such requirement thus the need. As a manager I had hired an Indian before where she took Chinese as 2nd language in Sec sch and she can read and write chinese better than me, of course she got the job then. But nowadays, it’s harder to get local young S’porean even with such skills too. As for older workers’ discrimination, though it is a daily thing but I too have interviewed my fair share of arrogant and stuck in the mud mature workers. Not only are they not receptive to the new company’s culture and rules but they complain and complain, some even during interviews about their previous employers.
My take is that not because I’m back in the workforce already thus I can say things lightly but always hear from both sides and like they always say, check yourself in the mirror before you step out of the house. Good luck all.