Are Singapore salaries based on one's country of citizenship

[nutnut]

Anywhere I have worked with locals in similar positions I have always earned higher wages.

They complain to me like it's my fault... Maybe they need to spend more time learning to negotiate properly.

It seems to come down to a few things. For instance, if you are from a reputable company in the western world, you are seen to be bringing western ideas as well as relevant experience, this is considered useful as the country is fighting well above it's weight class currently! If there were no senior people from MNCs coming to Singapore, do you think the MNCs would even be here? Go figure!

[Wd40]

Anywhere I have worked with locals in similar positions I have always earned higher wages.

They complain to me like it's my fault... Maybe they need to spend more time learning to negotiate properly.

It seems to come down to a few things. For instance, if you are from a reputable company in the western world, you are seen to be bringing western ideas as well as relevant experience, this is considered useful as the country is fighting well above it's weight class currently! If there were no senior people from MNCs coming to Singapore, do you think the MNCs would even be here? Go figure!

You are giving the wrong message. Your message seems to imply that you are paid better because you are good and that you are good because you are a western foreigner.

As a matter of fact, any team whether its east or in the west will have different salaries depending on abilities, negotiating skills and how badly the person needs the job.

It just so happens that the most MNCs happen to be from the west and hence you have westerns in the higher positions as they are willing to relocate for the benefits. The westerners in the lower end jobs in their own countries will never be given a premium to come here whereas Asians would gladly come here to do the low level jobs.

So to answer OPs original question: No,westerners are not paid higher than Asians if they are performing like to like roles.

[kikap]

What about Asians (specifically Chinese or Malays) who come from western companies in western countries with western education and working experience applying for mid to high level jobs ? Does race not matter one iota what salary you get ? (taking negotiation skills and abilities out of the equation)

[JR8]

Westerners are not paid higher than Asians if they are performing like to like roles.

This would seem to ignore the fact that to be eligible for a work visa the hiring company's HR department needs to make a solid case for why your skill-set is not available from a local.

[AndrewV]

do middle eastern sheiks value a singaporean passport the same as a uk/us/canadian one?

[sundaymorningstaple]

do middle eastern sheiks value a singaporean passport the same as a uk/us/canadian one?

Only if they are cute males.

[ecureilx]

do middle eastern sheiks value a singaporean passport the same as a uk/us/canadian one?

Only if they are cute males.

Enlighten us please

[nutnut]

Anywhere I have worked with locals in similar positions I have always earned higher wages.

They complain to me like it's my fault... Maybe they need to spend more time learning to negotiate properly.

It seems to come down to a few things. For instance, if you are from a reputable company in the western world, you are seen to be bringing western ideas as well as relevant experience, this is considered useful as the country is fighting well above it's weight class currently! If there were no senior people from MNCs coming to Singapore, do you think the MNCs would even be here? Go figure!

You are giving the wrong message. Your message seems to imply that you are paid better because you are good and that you are good because you are a western foreigner.

As a matter of fact, any team whether its east or in the west will have different salaries depending on abilities, negotiating skills and how badly the person needs the job.

It just so happens that the most MNCs happen to be from the west and hence you have westerns in the higher positions as they are willing to relocate for the benefits. The westerners in the lower end jobs in their own countries will never be given a premium to come here whereas Asians would gladly come here to do the low level jobs.

So to answer OPs original question: No,westerners are not paid higher than Asians if they are performing like to like roles.

Wrong, I worked with people with more relevant experience, more years in the role, better education and earned more than twice their wage in 2 places, one of these people was a Chinese Singaporean and one was an Indian Singaporean. Fact! Also, both roles I was on a local package, not an expat one, and I was located in Singapore when I took both roles.

I was paid more because I was not willing to accept a lower salary, but, all westerners in those companies were paid similar (in a similar position) and the locals and Indians were ALWAYS paid similar to each other, but far less than the westerners.

As I say - If that isn't employment based on race then what is?

[ecureilx]

I was paid more because I was not willing to accept a lower salary, but, all westerners in those companies were paid similar (in a similar position) and the locals and Indians were ALWAYS paid similar to each other, but far less than the westerners.

As I say - If that isn't employment based on race then what is?

+1 nutnut.

I don't know how long WD40 has been in this little red dot, but .. 13 years here I will strongly affirm what you stated ..

You know the funny thing .. you are not supposed to discuss your pay with your colleagues, as many of my colleagues then and even now found out .. when they raised the pay discrepency, the first thing that HR shoots is "so who told you their pay ? Did you not read the part in your appointment letter / increment letter / bonus letter - that your compensation is confidential and not to be discussed .. "

[sundaymorningstaple]

I've been in the HR business for close to 20 years now, between recruitment/headhunting and HR Management. I can vouch that discrimination well and truly exists based on ethnic(nationality) origins here on the little Red Dot.

[x9200]

As I say - If that isn't employment based on race then what is?

It is based on the previous salary record. It only coincides with the race for pretty obvious reasons. The race does not help in some cases for sure but if an Indian or Chinese were earlier on a higher salary package their position would be very different.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Frankly, I don't quite agree. But I'll agree to disagree as there are many different industries and all tend to be slightly different and put different weighting on different nationalities.

[x9200]

It is very likely both of the factors but from my experience it looks like the prev salary is more impactfull, and yes it's probably industry dependent too.
I guess it is pretty hard to tell unless there is an indication that the candidates earning earlier some fair salary get rejected on spot.

[sundaymorningstaple]

That happens with most IT Indians who spent time in the US and have now come back towards India, e.g., Singapore. Rarely do they get anything near what they were getting in the US. There are some, but they are definitely the minority.

[clariceboecker]

I would like to say that it's generally quite fair, and I'm not sure how so many others face discrimination. It's one of the most equal countries to me personally.