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what should i do?

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natashawong
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what should i do?

Post by natashawong » Tue, 15 Mar 2016 8:35 am

Hi,
I am an Indonesian currently working in Singapore under S pass.
I have applied a job in this company and was accepted by them under the position of: Administrative clerk.
I just started working for less than a month (under probation currently) however, I was made to wash the toilet and I was not allowed for my lunch break (the one they had promised me for 1 hour during the interview). I was only allowed for 10 minutes break to eat my lunch. I am okay with all these however, I had Singaporean friends telling me that this is not normal and they are abusing their rights as my employer.
What should I do? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

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rajagainstthemachine
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Re: what should i do?

Post by rajagainstthemachine » Tue, 15 Mar 2016 9:04 am

this is definitely not normal, you should complain to MoM or at least threaten to do so.. but you might get fired in the process by your employer.
To get there early is on time and showing up on time is late

squallchou_e1
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Re: what should i do?

Post by squallchou_e1 » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:57 am

Hi Natasha,
you have same situation with my wife. She was employed admin clerk too, holding Spass (indonesian too), also must clean the toilet, take care the boss fish, and do groceries for him too.

Yes it is abusing, and yes she should report to MoM and yes again she confirm will be ask to leave.
But since market very tight and harsh for foreigner to get the pass, she try to struggle with it.

As for your case, you must stand up for it. Washing toilet isn't related with any clerk jobs. While lunch break afaik is 1 hour by gov law cmiiw.

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk

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ecureilx
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Re: what should i do?

Post by ecureilx » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:51 pm

squallchou_e1 wrote:As for your case, you must stand up for it. Washing toilet isn't related with any clerk jobs. While lunch break afaik is 1 hour by gov law cmiiw.
My lunch breaks are less than 30 minutes, though company has not specified the lunch hours in black and white, and if anybody takes a 1 hour + lunch, nobody bothers.

However .. in one of the performance reviews, the silly manager started off like "we come to work at 9 AM, we work till 5 PM, which is like 8 hours work, and we take 1 hour for lunch, and half an hour twice a day for tea or coffee break .. "

I waited till he finished and went and asked HR if the guy knows what he is talking and since I don't have those coffee/tea breaks and short lunch, will my pay increase.

HR reminded the silly supervisor about Singapore laws, and that never came up again !

Anyway, as to the cases here, the truth is, if you go to MOM, the candidate's gonna be fired. However, if and when the person leaves, an anonymous letter with supporting evidence to MOM is not a wrong thing to do.

Bosses like that thrive because nobody tells them they are just exploiting the weak.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: what should i do?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 1:11 pm

natashawong wrote:Hi,
I am an Indonesian currently working in Singapore under S pass.
I have applied a job in this company and was accepted by them under the position of: Administrative clerk.
I just started working for less than a month (under probation currently) however, I was made to wash the toilet and I was not allowed for my lunch break (the one they had promised me for 1 hour during the interview). I was only allowed for 10 minutes break to eat my lunch. I am okay with all these however, I had Singaporean friends telling me that this is not normal and they are abusing their rights as my employer.
What should I do? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
Enough has already been said about your plight and the suitable/not so suitable remedies accordingly. However, I'd like to address something that has NOT been mentioned here but often goes hand in hand with the above type of employer. I am talking about the elephant in the room.

Natasha, is the employer paying you your full salary as quoted in the S pass application? If the employer isn't or if the employer IS paying you your full salary, are you having to, in any way, shape or form, having to remit back to him in cash any portion of that salary you have a bigger problem! (you don't have to answer that here)

If the answer is yes, you can forget about all the other posters recommendations as you will have to put up with it or quit. I say this because if you agreed to the subterfuge regarding the illegal salary manipulations, then you are in collaboration with the employer to defraud the MOM and you will be barred from working in Singapore after you are released from prison. Or you will be escorted to the airport to ensure you leave and you will be barred from returning.

If the answer is no and you are able to keep all of your salary, then whack the S.O.B. (you will lose your job) or wait until you can find another job and then whack the S.O.B. (be sure to collect evidence before you leave).
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

SHIMMY
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Re: what should i do?

Post by SHIMMY » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 4:02 pm

Hi All,

I hope you could answer me with this situation i have.
I have been working here in Singapore for more than a year.
I was hired last Mar 3, 2015. Upon learning of the system and whereabouts of my present company i realised that this is not for me and they are really lacking manpower.
I tried to apply other company and was hired around June Last year but unluckily the Pass wasnt approved and i didnt have the chance to know why.
Come 2016 i am still in the present company, depressed and stressed and now in the level of taking medications.
I applied and again got hired just a few weeks ago. The pass is applied but then again it was rejected.
Knowing i was hired Mar 3. I dont have any choice but to ask them if i will still be renewed and they did renew my pass last February 29.
Does it affect my recent application?
How big is the chance of appeal. Or, if i tried to get another job, im afraid it will be rejected again?

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: what should i do?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 5:12 pm

SHIMMY,

1) Are you hired on a S pass?

2) What is your Nationality:

3) If your S pass was just renewed after only 12 months, how long is the validity of the new S pass?

4) Are you in a technical position?

5) If your qualifications are a degree and you are in a technical position, what is your degree in?

If you are on an S pass and you have a non-technical degree but are working in a technicians role or some other role not related to your degree, and the S pass was renewed but only for 12 months, it's likely that you no longer meet the criteria for an S pass under the new criteria. MOM has been giving those already here but recently being up for renewal, a one-off 12 month pass as a courtesy to the employer to give them time to find a suitable replacement (the renewal letter will state that you no longer meet the S pass criteria and will only be extended for a maximum of 12 months and will not be extended after that unless your particulars have been upgraded to qualify for the position you are in. It's not nice but there you are. My last three renewal (S pass Service Technicians) all have received the same renewal. 12 month only and there final renewal (2 have been with me for 8 years).

This would also explain the two rejection you received recently if they were applying for S passes.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Re: what should i do?

Post by SHIMMY » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 5:26 pm

thanks for response sundaymorningstaple

1) Are you hired on a S pass? yes

2) What is your Nationality: Filipino

3) If your S pass was just renewed after only 12 months, how long is the validity of the new S pass?
My spass have just been renewed less than a month, i was about to resign that time cos this company have been positive on the 1st stage. Then they notified me i wasnt hired thats why i decided to accept the renewal, (forced) but suddenly they emailed me and asked me if i want to join but in a different position but still related to my work.

4) Are you in a technical position?
Yes, Im an Interior DEsigner , and my new company hired me as a Drafter / Designer

5) If your qualifications are a degree and you are in a technical position, what is your degree in?

Bachelors Degree in Interior Design.

SHIMMY
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Re: what should i do?

Post by SHIMMY » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 5:26 pm

Forgot to mention that my current pass in my present company is 1 year validity.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: what should i do?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 5:32 pm

If you were hired as a draughtsman/designer, did you see the renewal IPA? If so did it make any mention of it being the last time it would be renewed? If you didn't see it, you should ask your HR to see the original IPA for the renewal. It's sounds like to me, that MOM thinks that there are local draughtsmen in sufficient quantities to cover the necessity of having imported talent to do it now. I wish I could help you more, but without the renewal notice I can't tell if it's final or not.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

SHIMMY
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Re: what should i do?

Post by SHIMMY » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 5:43 pm

It was not mentioned.
I have a Notification Letter for Renewal. And nothing is mentioned about how many times i can renew my pass.
So the rejection of my pass is not because i have just been renewed for less than a month in my present company.
I can assume, that i have been rejected because of the new company's issue. Not on my side?

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: what should i do?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 6:06 pm

SHIMMY wrote:It was not mentioned.
I have a Notification Letter for Renewal. And nothing is mentioned about how many times i can renew my pass.
So the rejection of my pass is not because i have just been renewed for less than a month in my present company.

No. Not at all.

I can assume, that i have been rejected because of the new company's issue.

No. Not at all.

Not on my side?

It could be. Maybe you can no longer file the criteria of the position according to the MOM, or maybe, as I've already noted, MOM thinks the position can be filled by locals, or maybe the potential employers did not already post the positions in the MOM's Job Bank for 14 days before submitting your application. Does the notification letter for renewal said you were approved for 12 months with your current employer? If not, you need to see the In Principle Approval letter....please see the IPA approval letter below as a current example (note the date).
Image
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

SHIMMY
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Re: what should i do?

Post by SHIMMY » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 6:36 pm

Yes i am approved for 12 mos for my current employer.
Thank you so much for your responses.

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sundaymorningstaple
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Re: what should i do?

Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 18 Mar 2016 7:50 pm

SHIMMY wrote:Yes i am approved for 12 mos for my current employer.
Thank you so much for your responses.
SHIMMY, did you get this letter? it is the IPA I was referring to. Please read carefully the 2nd paragraph. If you have that 2nd paragraph, you will not get another job here after the 12 months are up unless your particulars change dramatically. This coming December, put your credentials into the self-test on the MOM site and see if you will qualify then before applying for a position.
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

pattykhan1
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Re: what should i do?

Post by pattykhan1 » Thu, 07 Apr 2016 8:30 am

I am really stressed with my job. I want to go back to my home country. I cannot resign if so have to pay 7k$ . What if i go back and submit a medical?

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