One of the big changes during this second stint in Singapore is that my boss told me I do not have to work on Saturday. In the past, I had to work half a day on Saturday, and for this, I get 7 days leave a year. However, now that the canteen at the MOE does not open on Saturday, my boss will be deducting the 7 days leave.
However, recently, my boss took up a new place at the HSA canteen at the Singapore General Hospital. They have to open on Saturday too. Last Saturday, I worked there till 3pm! That's like almost a full day. Another 3 hours more and it's a full day of work!
My boss now wants us to work on alternate Saturdays there. No extra pay, no extra leave. Unfortunately, I have already signed up an English course at the local community center and lesson starts in May every Saturday morning. My boss wasn't too pleased to hear this, and said that since my lessons are from 9.30am to 11.30am, I should go to work after my lessons, and stay till the canteen is close. Is this fair?
First, we agreed that the 7 days leave be deducted because we don't work Saturdays. Now he wants us to work Saturdays but will not give us back the 7 days leave. One of the weekends, I even worked a full Saturday and Sunday because they had a big weekend event at the MOE... no overtime pay too.
Please don't get me wrong! I am just curious if we, migrant workers here, are taken for granted? Employers know that we have signed a 2 years contract and will squeeze the maximum out of us. Regardless, this is still much better than my short stint with Bread Junction anyway, so, I am really not complaining... just curious and would like to know what my Singaporean readers think!
What would a Singaporean worker do when faced with such a situation?
Think you should speak up for your rights. Talk to your boss tactfully and seek his understanding. He should compensate you for additional work.
ReplyDelete你的合同有注明一个星期做几天/几个小时吗？如果你老板是个明理的人，我同意2livetoday所说的，心平气和（千万不可咄咄逼人，以免影响彼此感情）跟他谈一下，把你的想法说出来。我觉得他应该给回几天的假期（既然是每两个礼拜做一个星期六，不一定是给足7天）或让你在其他日子早一些下班。如果老板不肯让步，也只好接受，不过至少你也让他知道了你的想法，以后不会变本加厉，让你连星期天都做！
ReplyDeleteSounds like your boss is a crook and it also sounds like you're being exploited. Having met you I can tell that you're a kind girl, but your kindness is being abused. If this is typical of how migrant workers are treated in Singapore then all I can say is that the system is corrupt and exploits migrant workers by lazy and corrupt Singaporeans.
ReplyDeleteAgreed that Jing Li is being exploited; so I would urge her to speak up and not keep quiet. We should not generalized and say the system is corrupt. Running a business is tough in Singapore. The business must be responsive to the needs and requirements of the customers, otherwise difficult to survive. It must make a decent profit in order to pay for staff wages and overheads. Just my 2 cents worth.
ReplyDelete我的合同是英语的！我不回读！老板是哾给我听的。没关系！我会跟他谈！我还是很开心在这里工作！哈哈！谢谢 Bee Yong!谢谢 2livetoday!
ReplyDeleteThank you Cameron!
ReplyDeleteI would say the system is corrupt because workers rights are not protected. Running a business is tough, but that does not excuse anyone exploiting migrant workers. The owner of the business takes the risk and if the business is profitable, they get to keep those profits. I'm sure the owner is passing on a percentage of his profits to Li Jing. It's unfair to transfer this business risk to the workers who will see none of the profits. In other developed economies workers rights are protected. If workers are allowed to be exploited, then the system is corrupt.
ReplyDeleteI should say "I'm sure the owner is NOT passing on a percentage of profits to Li Jing".
ReplyDeleteHi Cameron, thank you for your comments again. Are you still buying your green apple and ice lemon tea every morning? Ha ha!
ReplyDeleteLi Jing - glad you remember me. I moved back to Australia, so no more fruit from Chai Chee for me. I really enjoy reading website and I really hope things go well for you and your sister in Singapore. I could tell that you were a very positive young woman with a good heart, so you deserve to be successful. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteHi Li Jing,
ReplyDeleteI have read your blog about once a month for some time now. I am sad to read this boss of yours is so unethical.
I would like to thank you for your blog. Like many others, it opened my eyes. I was so surprised to see you still pumped water back home in China, to see you had to live in a unit with so many others.
And I smile when I read how kind you are to yoru sister.
I hope you have a good day!