pengembara wrote:I have a background in biomedical and health research and have just negotiated a relocation to Singapore to an academic institutio, but perhaps at a more senior level than you (I have >30 yrs experience). Let me try to answer some of your questions:
1. Not sure of the answer but presumably the more senior person can negotiate for more perks.
2. Starting pay figures are hard to come by but, from my own experience, Singapore is NOT able to match the pay you used to receive in your previous job, especially if it was in a 'rich' country in the western world. In my case, it worked out to a 30-40% drop in salary level (my previous job was in western Europe).
3. I'm being offered subsidized housing which is <50% of the going market rate. That's a significant saving.
4. I think a standardized 'expat allowance' is a myth-it's all negotiated independently and individually. I have known 'stars' who get the moon including a 'joining bonus'. Annual tickets home, education grants, etc are quite rare.
5. I think its a flat rate of 15%.
Small correction. If you are here more than 183 days the first year you will be taxed at normal graduated resident tax rates. In fact if you are here less than 183 days and your EP indicates a minimum of 12 months, IRAS will tax you at resident rates as well the first year.
6. Correct. And as mentioned above it's all about negotiations on a case-by-case basis.
Having said all that, I think the pay they are offering you seems fair and be aware that there are some hidden benefits of life in Singapore (e.g. much lower tax rates than most western countries, free health insurance-at least in my case, no deductions for pension fund for non citizens, excellent infrastructure: one of the best public transport systems in the world-so no need to buy a car with all its attendant expenses,, safety, security, AND THE FOOD!!)
Good luck!
Housing allowance, if you are going into stat boards / research institutions, they are pretty much fixed - from 800$ to 2,000$, which is reduced on a sliding scale once you obtain PR here.biomarker wrote: 3] How much is an average housing allowance for a person with my background and experience?
From a stat-board, the offer letter contains something like 'cost of 1 set of return tickets - reimbursed' for employee and family, on economy / coach class.
4] What is an expat allowance? Is it fixed? Should one ask for annual tickets to point of destination for self and family?
6] From the forums I have understood that pay structure is not fixed. So, is it usual to negotiate with HR for base pay, housing and any other perks?
very informative, and, a +1pengembara wrote:..... Hope this helps further in making a decision.
I'm curious. What are the KPI's for these bonuses in research here (in Singapore)? I know some use papers published/submitted for publication but I'd like to see a concrete example.pengembara wrote:For example, the institution I'm joining has an end-of-year 1-3 month salary bonus incentive, based on performance. Also, it permits up to 52 days a year consultancy leave and up to 90 days a year academic leave. These can significantly add to your final pay, especially the bonus and the consultancy. I've been told that some of the staff can enhance their pay by up to 50% on top of their salary through these 2 perks.
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