SINGAPORE: A foreign worker sparked concern online after sharing details of a cooking job in Singapore that would require him to work up to 14 hours a day for a monthly salary of just S$2,000.
Posting on the r/asksg forum on Saturday (May 30), the worker said his contract stated a 44-hour work week. However, he claimed that the staff roster he had seen told a different story, with employees allegedly working around 14 hours a day and receiving only one or two rest days a month.
“I have seen the roster schedule, and everybody is doing 14 hrs a day, and they only have 1 or 2 days off a month only,” he wrote. “They even fight for a day off.”
To make matters worse, incentives would only be available after completing three months on the job, while his seven days of annual leave would only become available after a full year of service.
Unfamiliar with Singapore’s job market, the worker turned to Reddit to ask whether such conditions were normal for cooks in the F&B industry.
“Is this normal for a cook job in Singapore?” he asked. “I would appreciate any advice from people working in F&B.”
In an edit to his post, the worker revealed he had already accepted the offer and signed the contract because his visa was due to expire in just two weeks.
“PLEASE RUN IF YOU CAN.”
The post quickly drew strong reactions from netizens, many of whom were shocked by the long hours and low pay. Several commenters said the arrangement sounded excessive and urged the worker to look elsewhere for employment.
One user called the conditions “insane,” while another said, “2 off days per month? This is extortion. To put it into perspective, you are working 14 hours per day, that’s 28 days of working in a month (2 off days per month), and you’re working 14 hours x 28 days in a month = 392 hours in a month. S$2,000/392 = S$5/hour? Even McDonald pays better.”
A third wrote, “My dear, you’re a COOK, which demands more technical skills. PLEASE RUN IF YOU CAN. S$2,000 can be earned by doing part-time service staff alone. Do not get played.”
A fourth added, “That schedule is crazy even by F&B standards. To be honest, 14 hours a day plus only 2 off days a month is going to burn you out hard, and 7 days’ leave after 1 year is low. I’d start looking around for other kitchens, but yeah, everything is trash now. Finding a job is miserable.”
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), a new hire can still back out of a job offer even after signing a letter of employment, provided they have not yet started work on their first day.
In such situations, the individual is expected to notify the employer and, where possible, provide a reason for withdrawing.
MOM notes on its website: “If an employee does not show up on the first day of work, the Employment Claims Act does not apply as the employee has not started work.”
Moreover, employers cannot claim notice pay or compensation under the Act, although they may still choose to file a civil claim in court.