Salary Details Publicised

[ecureilx]

Nosey Stinkaporean: Hey you ah, what your bonus? Got increment?

Casual Expat; No freaking clue mate; I don't bother looking at my payslips.

Cue meltdown in Stinkaporean's mind.

I had a newly joined colleague who didn't know his pay was not credited, almost till next pay cycle. The natives were amazed that a guy can go a month without pay ... the guy was like "most payment is cashless so I didn't realise .. .. "

[the lynx]

Well isn't it a normal thing NOT to tell everyone your salary?

[sundaymorningstaple]

In most of the world, yes. But this isn't most of the world. It's the Little Red Dot, where every auntie thinks they have a right to know even what colour and fabric yer knickers are, or if wearing any. I've never heard such personal questions from aunties here anywhere else in the world. I don't think people do too much sharing outside, but within a company, it's usually rampant even though the mgmt doesn't want it as such.

[ecureilx]

Well isn't it a normal thing NOT to tell everyone your salary?

well, for some 'expats', when there is a gathering, the most important discussion points are 1) Salary, 2) conversion rate for remittance and 3) How big the house is ..

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, but always in oblique terms. Let's the listener give themselves as much or as little credence to it as they desire.

[Barnsley]

Well isn't it a normal thing NOT to tell everyone your salary?

well, for some 'expats', when there is a gathering, the most important discussion points are 1) Salary, 2) conversion rate for remittance and 3) How big the house is ..

Who are these "expats" of which you speak , are they all of a certain persuasion?

I havent had the 1-3 you have brought up once in 8 yrs here.

Then I am not "expat" in the way "expats" probably consider themselves.

[ecureilx]

Well isn't it a normal thing NOT to tell everyone your salary?

well, for some 'expats', when there is a gathering, the most important discussion points are 1) Salary, 2) conversion rate for remittance and 3) How big the house is ..

Who are these "expats" of which you speak , are they all of a certain persuasion?

I havent had the 1-3 you have brought up once in 8 yrs here.

Then I am not "expat" in the way "expats" probably consider themselves.

It's about the company you keep

Unrelated, now you have a glimpse of the after hours company I do keep, I guess

[Wd40]

Well isn't it a normal thing NOT to tell everyone your salary?

well, for some 'expats', when there is a gathering, the most important discussion points are 1) Salary, 2) conversion rate for remittance and 3) How big the house is ..

Who are these "expats" of which you speak , are they all of a certain persuasion?

I havent had the 1-3 you have brought up once in 8 yrs here.

Then I am not "expat" in the way "expats" probably consider themselves.

Indians
Cue: Ecureilx used the word remittance. For some reason I hear the word remittance associated with South Asian, Filipino migrant workers transferring money home. I know its stereotyping, but I have never heard whites use the word "Remit" when they transfer money home.

Also, SMS, Indians too are just as nosey as the Singaporeans when it comes to knowing salary. So I guess its an Asian thing.

[JR8]

Cue: Ecureilx used the word remittance. For some reason I hear the word remittance associated with South Asian, Filipino migrant workers transferring money home. I know its stereotyping, but I have never heard whites use the word "Remit" when they transfer money home.

It has that quaint archaic and old-Empire sound about it. You can imagine a dusty clerks office with a gentleman surrounded by huge piles of documents and 200 various rubber stamps. You know, like a typical railway reservation office in India...

FWIW for small sums I 'transfer' it. It's different for significantly larger sums where (in my terminology) I 'wire' it.

[the lynx]

well, for some 'expats', when there is a gathering, the most important discussion points are 1) Salary, 2) conversion rate for remittance and 3) How big the house is ..

Who are these "expats" of which you speak , are they all of a certain persuasion?

I havent had the 1-3 you have brought up once in 8 yrs here.

Then I am not "expat" in the way "expats" probably consider themselves.

Indians
Cue: Ecureilx used the word remittance. For some reason I hear the word remittance associated with South Asian, Filipino migrant workers transferring money home. I know its stereotyping, but I have never heard whites use the word "Remit" when they transfer money home.

Also, SMS, Indians too are just as nosey as the Singaporeans when it comes to knowing salary. So I guess its an Asian thing.

Yup Asian thing. I have seen this question asked to me in MY, SG, PH, TH, CN, etc. The only country that doesn't seem to do that is Japan - which is not a surprise.