Loyalty: To be or not to be??? lol

[rtkgamer]

i'm now confused.. can PAP enlighten us?

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

Minister Lim Swee Say 'For workers to job-hop for a few dollars more during good times is a very short-sighted move, because the journey towards excellence is a long one,'

quoted by dunno which stupid minister, "if we don’t pay our ministers the world’s highest ministerial salaries (and give them further increases after that), then they’re all going to run away to join the oh-so-lucrative private sector."

[The_Republic]

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

Nov 7, 2007

Realities of the Working World (http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html)




ST Nov 7, 2007
Labour chief calls job-hopping, poaching short-sighted
By Marcel Lee Pereira

NO SOONER had Mr Kalaichellvan Krishna been crowned the service 'superstar' of the restaurant sector than new job offers began trickling in.

Minutes after the 26-year-old, who works for the Jack's Place steakhouse chain, was given the SuperStar Award at the Excellent Service Award (Exsa) ceremony held at the Raffles City Convention Centre yesterday, the poachers pounced.

They offered him jobs at other restaurants and hotels, but he turned them down politely.

His reason? His first loyalty is to his customers.

'They know me. Without them, I couldn't have won this award,' said Mr Kalaichellvan, an assistant manager at the chain's West Coast Recreation Centre outlet.

This business of loyalty and poaching of staff is something that concerns many employers these days.

The red-hot job market - figures announced last week put the jobless rate at 1.7 per cent, a 10-year low - is causing a scramble for talent and pushing up wages, and some companies are finding it hard to hold on to workers like Mr Kalaichellvan.

The problem is serious enough that Minister Lim Swee Say, from the Prime Minister's Office, who gave out awards to 10 winners in different sectors yesterday, touched on it during his speech at the ceremony.

Warning that the labour market is set to get tighter as major events such as the Formula One race come to Singapore, the labour chief urged service staff not to job-hop, and told employers to refrain from poaching.

'For workers to job-hop for a few dollars more during good times is a very short-sighted move, because the journey towards excellence is a long one,' he said

……… Turning to employers, he said: 'Every time we give out the awards, when the superstars appear in the newspapers, many employers will want to take a short cut and go after the winners, ask them what is their pay now, offer another 20 per cent.

'I think it's a very short-sighted move on the part of employers, and I hope that the Exsa superstars today, no matter how hard your competitors try to poach you, say no to them,' he added, to applause. Isn’t this ironic? Minister Lim Swee Say tells you that it is very short-sighted to change jobs for the sake of earning more money. But for years and years, the PAP has been saying that if we don’t pay our ministers the world’s highest ministerial salaries (and give them further increases after that), then they’re all going to run away to join the oh-so-lucrative private sector.

If PAP ministers can’t be expected to serve out of a sense of loyalty to the nation, why would we expect people like Mr Kalaichellvan to serve out of a sense of loyalty to a steak restaurant.

But what do I know. Maybe loyalty to restaurants gets you further than loyalty to the nation these days. See how the Singapore Armed Forces discarded this old soldier (and he isn’t even that old):

ST Nov 6, 2007
Warrant officer asked to retire 5 years earlier

I WAS a regular serviceman in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). I served a total of 32 years, comprising full-time national service, reservist and regular service, from 1974-2006.

I was one of more than 200 regular servicemen and women in the Army who were notified in May last year that we would be given Special Early Transition. Some of the reasons cited included difficulty in offering us 'suitable jobs' in the long run, restructuring and possible 'stagnation'. We were given only six months to transit.

Having attained the rank of a warrant officer in 2001, it meant that I was able to serve till the compulsory retirement age (CRA) of 55. I transitted last November after just turning 50, five years short of the CRA.

The Control of Personnel Centre announced that we were not under-performers. I was still PES 'B' and I received my performance bonuses annually without fail. I had also met all other requirements, i.e., Individual Physical Proficiency Tests, Annual Trainfire Programme, Body Mass Index, and Annual Proficiency Knowledge Test.

I also did not have any discipline or medical problems. The latter meant that I was still combat fit and still deployable. There are some who have not conformed to one or more of these requirements and yet are still serving in the organisation.

Till today, I am still somewhat in a state of depression at how the organisation had overlooked all my years of loyal and dedicated service.

The SAF Management Philosophy states:

'The SAF is concerned with the well-being of its people and their families, the SAF values its people, looks after them and their families so that they can give wholehearted attention to their assigned duties.'

The Defence Minister himself said last year:

'Every soldier is precious to us. Every national serviceman, every operationally ready national serviceman, every regular who serves with us is a precious and valuable person.'

The organisation failed to honour its word to allow me and many others to serve till the CRA of 55. I have a wife and two young children still attending school.

Second Warrant Officer (Retired)
Henry Minjoot“Special Early Transition”, ha. Sounds more like “Extended Notice Period” to me.

Dear Henry, I am sorry for you. There is an important lesson to learn here, and this is it – Singapore doesn’t really care about you. You have to care about you. And your family.

Next time – if there’s a next time – keep your eyes wide open for a good job opportunity. And as soon as it comes along, hop. Make it an IPPT gold-star award-winning Standing Broad Jump.

Regardless of what Lim Swee Say has got to say.



Posted by Mr Wang Says So






http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

[The_Republic]

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

kite said...

Mr Wang, this is a topic that has been on my mind for a long time.

I notice that employers always bring up the job hopping issue when it suits them.

But as someone who lived through numerous layoffs and purges in 97/98 and later during more situation specific scenarios ie firm restructuring, firm implosion as well as seeing my own job disappear a couple of times through what can only be described as unethical practices*, I can only say that firms have not treated their people well and should hence not be asking for loyalty.

*Case 1 - Fresh grad in 1997, employers say that I have no skills and experience, need to serve a 1/2 year probation. Need to show dedication by not going for other interviews during this period (secretary keeps tabs on me), ended up missing commencement ceremony as well. Passed probation successfully. Firm now says want to put me on contract, because no headcount available. I say okay! Firm then says that need to turn me into monthly renewable temp with commitment of 1 year ie I promise to stay for 1 year while they have the option to fire me every month. At this point, I started asking questions. Firm then says bye-bye on Christmas eve. When I ask them to fill in training records ( I was a trainee accountant then), my boss remarked that I am a pain in the neck.

*Case 2 - Firm gets into some litigation controversy. 1 month after promoting some associates, firm says we must sacrifice for the firm ie 20% paycut and no reducible workhours (contrary to official notice). 2 months later, mass firing of junior associates via SMS and townhall briefing -- claim that they were underperforming just 2 months after positive job appraisal and to please pack and leave in 45 minutes. Firm hits the headlines for making our junior staff cry. Another month passed, firm fires some more, but more tactful this time around. But by now, people are heading voluntarily for the exit because they have lost confidence. HR starts calling people to come back. Those who came back were lost souls, because they were put on a contract and farmed out overseas and fired all over again in less than 2 months ... I could give more details of how the story played out, but I think enough is enough.

*Case 3 - After slaving for many years and going for multiple retrainings, I am now high-flying professional with expensive brandname qualifications. I asked to work in slightly different area. Firm says need to serve 1/2 year probation. I say okay again. Went in, doing well when I got a cancer diagnosis. Asked firm for work flexibility as I explore treatment options. Boss says okay and please take care of myself. 1.5 months later, suddenly the opening dried up and 2 weeks before I needed to go for an operation, they say that they have no more work for me anymore. Bye-bye, please take care of myself ...

After I got well, I cannot finish counting the number of doors that open when they saw my resume, and slam shut when they realise that I took time-off to deal with cancer.

I personally experienced these within 10 years of my career, and people are asking why I have a choppy resume. I told a headhunter that I need him to teach me a polite way of describing some parts of my career progression.

On the less dramatic side, I learnt to deal with interviewers who complain that I was underqualified (fresh grad), overqualified (elite school kid - my fault that I went to top school and got scholarships), who ask for photo, age, marital status and child-bearing plans ...
and bosses who find devious logic to cut and withhold my pay and bonus even after I have met performance targets.

Where was the government when these happen? And what about quality behaviour from my employers?

November 9, 2007 11:40 AM (http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html#c1388852285358588543)



http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

[superman]

Now, labour market is good and many people job hop, our labour chief say it is short sighted. When Economy is bad and companies start firing people, did he say that the Companies firing people is short sighted?

[Inix]

Loyalty only makes sense if you are sure your company can take care of you when then economy is bad. And that normally means that you're either working in a Jap Co, a European Co, or you're working in a SME where you're in the bosses inner circle.

It might not be true all the time, but at least you have a fighting chance of staying employed when the economy is bad. Otherwise, oh PLEASE. When the economy is good, time to make more money.

[citrus00]

I will be VERY loyal to my company if i get what the minister is getting.

[Inix]

I will be VERY loyal to my company if i get what the minister is getting.
I don't think I would. If I'm getting this pay, chances are, I will be headhunted to do more things at higher pay with stock options and all....

[LoNgMaO]

If they think their ability to get more outside feel free to jump ship.....

[Rogue]

For private companies, if your performance don't meet the standards your pay requires, just be prepared to be "let go". For a publicly listed company, you have to answer to your shareholders.

For a public servant who dictates their own salary, I don't see any loyalty no matter how they spin it. Any mistakes will be borne by the people and they are unlikely to fire their own ass. Honest mistakes aside, I don't foresee any of them being removed from power anytime soon.

Too bad, you can't fire them almost immediately like the private sector. Only way is to wait 5 years for a "reduced" chance.

In the case of public trust , there's no poison when there's so much candy. No equivalent punishment(poison) to balance the huge pay package for cases of corruption or for mishandling state affairs. Perhaps high treason implicating whole family and accomplices, liquidate all their assets and the death penalty.... Worst case, if all else fails, viva
la revolution, mock trials, and bring out the guillotine.

People of Singapore is the owner, government officials are just employees...

[Rogue]

No doubt , there's also bad employers out there. Minimum wage only, circumventing labour laws ,churning the employment life cycle, etc, the lists go on.

[tak]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v403/Dreamw0k/votepap.jpg

[The_Republic]

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/221418.asp


loyalty? what loyalty?
christie loh
rosnah ahmad

SORRY, Mr Lim Swee Say (picture). Your call to employees to be loyal and to bosses not to poach, although well-meaning, won't wash in an economy that is bursting at the seams and in a work world where talented people are an endangered species. .

Staff can turn around and ask: Loyalty is a two-way street. What assurance is there that my company will be loyal to me when things go bad? Or when I get older? .

And bosses: We have got bottom lines to worry about. Do we have a choice other than to go grabbing? .

The job scene is becoming one big shopping jamboree with nearly everyone thinking he or she is a talent, playing one employer against another, demanding more money every step of the way. .

As those with institutional memory will tell you, the red-hot jobs market will cool down soon. And that's when bosses are going to get their revenge by tightening the screws on pay and perks. And the biggest victims will be the pretenders in the talent game. Until then ... enjoy the party.


http://www.todayonline.com/articles/221418.asp

[The_Republic]

Refresh for Inflation, Recession, Price Hike, Unemployment, Government Pay Raise, High Cost of Living etc.

[lycans]

i'm now confused.. can PAP enlighten us?

http://mrwangsaysso.blogspot.com/2007/11/realities-of-working-world.html

Minister Lim Swee Say 'For workers to job-hop for a few dollars more during good times is a very short-sighted move, because the journey towards excellence is a long one,'

quoted by dunno which stupid minister, "if we don’t pay our ministers the world’s highest ministerial salaries (and give them further increases after that), then they’re all going to run away to join the oh-so-lucrative private sector."


i stopped listening to the PAP a long time ago, they can say what they want in their ivory tower. remember not too long ago a certain someone branded sgeans who left sg as 'quitters' but fast forward a few years later sg is behaving like a girl with her legs spread wide apart and letting any tom, dick and harry FT enter 'her'. now we're welcoming 'quitters' from any ah kow ah mao country to stay and get PR so easily....

they keep sending mixed signals to the ppl, on one hand asking for loyalty but suddenly change track and say ppl who stay too long at the job stagnates and become useless...sheesh make up ur ****ing mind dear MIW

[artemov]

I don't think I would. If I'm getting this pay, chances are, I will be headhunted to do more things at higher pay with stock options and all....

I don't think so. Just because I am getting a minister pay doesn't necessarily mean I am really talented enough to be "headhunted to do more things at higher pay with stock options and all". Of course our government (and their nation builders) is trying to get us to believe that our ministers are all great talents who made great sacrifices and even greater pay cuts to serve us poor ingrates.