"What is your current salary?" - thinking about this questio

[beppi]

The topics of current salary and ancient/odd English in this thread should be separated! This is about the latter:

A Singapore ethnic Indian lawyer once told me "Call at my office tomorrow 4pm!"
When I called him the next day, he was surprized and said he expected me to visit.
I answered "If you want me to come to your office, why didn't you say so?"
We were both baffled.

[Wd40]

The topics of current salary and ancient/odd English in this thread should be separated! This is about the latter:

A Singapore ethnic Indian lawyer once told me "Call at my office tomorrow 4pm!"
When I called him the next day, he was surprized and said he expected me to visit.
I answered "If you want me to come to your office, why didn't you say so?"
We were both baffled.

Your post actually brought up a 3rd topic Isnt it safe to assume that when you say a Singaporean Lawyer, more often than not its going to be an Indian?

In the TV whenever I see a high profile scandal news and the culprit walking in or out of the court, more often than not the lawyer accompanied is an Indian.

I guess just like the most sought after profession for the main land Indian is IT/Software, its law for Singaporean Indian.

There is such a huge variance b/w the local Indians and the mainland Indians(another example fav game Cricket v/s I dont know what may be soccer? ) so no wonder when the latter come here and bring their cultural nuances its bound to cause friction.

[sundaymorningstaple]

.... and bring their cultural nuances its bound to cause friction.

You sure you don't mean cultural nuisances.....

[JR8]

There is such a huge variance b/w the local Indians and the mainland Indians

Yah agree. Like sitting down at Clarke Quay one night. Next to a table of obvious tourist high-end end Indians, Blah-yell-blah yell. It was terrible

So low class.

I think 'Real Indians' (IME) might be less like this. I have faith that they are above this rabble indignity. They are such proud people, maybe they just need an occasional bitch-slap to jolt a temporary hang-up out of them.

Yes, still, and knowing them so well.

[Sergei82]

Can somebody explain me why I feel like murdering a few people posting in this thread and putting their photos after that on this forum in sabaisabai style???

[Sergei82]

If someone asks my salary, I lie, I tell them more and then they can base their offer on that

Simple.

And when they demand your payslips, you say your dog ate them?

Tell them no? Or don't let it get that far, using one of the arguments above.

I have been asked on previous jobs in the US, and I have obliged with fake numbers. In all of those cases, no proof was ever asked. I only know of two circumstances where anything of the like was asked for:

1) Many US companies do background checks, and current payslips were considered an acceptable (amongst other options) form of paperwork to provide. Background check was run by a third party company, and there was assurance in their paperwork it would not be handed over to the hiring company.

2) As part of a compensation/sign on agreement, hiring company offered the cash equivalent of a buyout of all unvested shares in previous company. As this sum was well into the six-digits (USD), they asked for a brokerage statement. (This wasn't me)

Situation: you've just successfully past a shit load of rounds of interview, and they suddenly casually tell you: ok, now you have to submit your last three payslips so we can make an offer to you.
WTF???? That is a spit in my face! How come they cannot offer me without payslips? How come spending months for interviews? Are they gonna filter me out now? Will I or them regret the time spent? Who is holding whose balls???

What should be the first action in the situation above?

[rajagainstthemachine]

And when they demand your payslips, you say your dog ate them?

Tell them no? Or don't let it get that far, using one of the arguments above.

I have been asked on previous jobs in the US, and I have obliged with fake numbers. In all of those cases, no proof was ever asked. I only know of two circumstances where anything of the like was asked for:

1) Many US companies do background checks, and current payslips were considered an acceptable (amongst other options) form of paperwork to provide. Background check was run by a third party company, and there was assurance in their paperwork it would not be handed over to the hiring company.

2) As part of a compensation/sign on agreement, hiring company offered the cash equivalent of a buyout of all unvested shares in previous company. As this sum was well into the six-digits (USD), they asked for a brokerage statement. (This wasn't me)

Situation: you've just successfully past a shit load of rounds of interview, and they suddenly casually tell you: ok, now you have to submit your last three payslips so we can make an offer to you.
WTF???? That is a spit in my face! How come they cannot offer me without payslips? How come spending months for interviews? Are they gonna filter me out now? Will I or them regret the time spent? Who is holding whose balls???

What should be the first action in the situation above?

company A asking for payslips from an employee working in company B is just downright wrong and ethically unacceptable.

[zzm9980]

What should be the first action in the situation above?

You've already covered this because you told them you're previous(or current) employer made you sign an NDA in regards to your compensation.

Tell us, is this hypothetical or did it just happen to you? I'm guessing the latter. Can you tell us who the employer is so none of us waste our time there? Just like those companies in the US that demand your Facebook/social media passwords, I'd lie or refuse to provide them and then not work there. Also, at least in the US you have protections under the law from this.

[zzm9980]

company A asking for payslips from an employee working in company B is just downright wrong and ethically unacceptable.

And unfortunately, Singapore employment law doesn't exist let alone provide protections.

[Wd40]

What should be the first action in the situation above?

You've already covered this because you told them you're previous(or current) employer made you sign an NDA in regards to your compensation.

Tell us, is this hypothetical or did it just happen to you? I'm guessing the latter. Can you tell us who the employer is so none of us waste our time there? Just like those companies in the US that demand your Facebook/social media passwords, I'd lie or refuse to provide them and then not work there. Also, at least in the US you have protections under the law from this.

Most employers in Singapore(Even large MNCs) do that. The company I am currently interviewing with(again a super large Singaporean MNC) asked me for latest payslip, photocopies of my marksheets, experience letters, marriage cert, child's birth cert and oh yes a photograh. All this before the 1st round of interview.

Also, before the 1st round of interview, they made me fill a 4 page form which needs almost as much information as the PR application form


I am not complaining though. I need the job more than they need me.

[Brah]

Well, only that "please" is normal for the rest of the world and peer-to-peer, whereas "do" smacks of talking down, and holding a teacup with pinky extended.

LOL at the pinky bit.

But in Singapore, you will see that a lot in emails...

Yes, you're right, and I cringe every time. And if 'Please" in its place is polite, "Do" is just rude and presumptuous, not to mention antiquated.

I once challenged a coworker to tell me the need for the word "do" and she just got flummoxed.

You know what else I hate in Singaporean office emails?

"GENTLE REMINDER"

First, if it's "gentle", don't use all caps. Second, wtf is a "gentle" reminder? Do you assume I'm a moron or something?

I think there's one worse, and more ubiquitous - "please revert".

I would bet that 99% don't even know this is incorrect usage for this word. Revert to what - a Neanderthal? A single cell?

And then there is "one for one". Which is just stupid. One for one, is, obviously, one. I enjoy making those who say this squirm when I tell them one for one is one, do you mean two for one? You can see the gears slowly turning and grinding, and again, flummoxed.

Oh wait there's another ubiquitous one, "...inconveniences are regretted..." as if this was possible to cater for all violations in the future tense. I think we covered these last two before.

The "needful" is right up there with "very less". But I don't bother trying to correct my Indian coworkers on that one. "More better blues...."

Taxi driver: "...he horned me...".
Me: "horn is not the verb to use here"
Taxi driver: "really? that's what I was taught".
Me: "you were taught wrong"
...or something like that....

[Brah]

What should be the first action in the situation above?

You've already covered this because you told them you're previous(or current) employer made you sign an NDA in regards to your compensation

That's a great idea, but would anyone go for that, and do any companies do this? I can't see why they would. Plus if the new company wanted to ask the old company the old company could say there is no NDA. But it if works, I like your thinking.

And you're right - workers have no rights here.

[rajagainstthemachine]

What should be the first action in the situation above?

You've already covered this because you told them you're previous(or current) employer made you sign an NDA in regards to your compensation

That's a great idea, but would anyone go for that, and do any companies do this? I can't see why they would. Plus if the new company wanted to ask the old company the old company could say there is no NDA. But it if works, I like your thinking.

And you're right - workers have no rights here.

Yes, Several companies I know do! My company which is an American MNC does, although I am not too sure about local companies here.

[Wd40]

I think there is no NDA per say, but most companies very clearly tell their employees not to share their salary or bonus info with their colleagues(for obvious reasons) and I have heard of disciplinary action taken against those who violated it.

But thats sharing salary information with colleagues. Regarding sharing salary information with future prospective employers, nobody can stop that.

In fact many people get offers from other companies and then show that to their current bosses to bargain for a hike, how about that ?

[JR8]

I think there is no NDA per say

If you wish to use Latin, do it correctly or end up with the risk of looking a little fool-hardy, that is my 2C.

'Per say' is actually written per se, and is usually italicised as here, to flag to people it's Latin, rather than an unintentional typo.


[Meaning: 'As such'. Example: 'He was an intelligent man, but his use of Latin was a little haphazard per se'.



p.s. My linguistic talents are decidedly average, but Latin is one thing I have some education in, and I'm just pointing this one thing out with the best of intentions to you.... so please take it as meant; with the best on intentions ok