SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker is questioning what protections locals really have after he and most of the Singaporeans in his team were recently laid off.

In a post on the r/asksg forum on Wednesday (May 20), the employee said he had been working at a big tech company since graduating about five years ago and was assigned to one of the backend teams, which, according to him, was made up of “half local, half foreigner from you know what country.”

Like many people his age, he said he genuinely believed he was set for life. After all, he had followed what society told him to do, which was to study hard, do things well, keep his head down, and deliver results.

However, after being blindsided by the layoff news, he admitted he no longer knows what to believe.

“I don’t know what to feel anymore,” he said. “What bothers me most is looking around my team and realising that almost every Singaporean on my side got cut.”

“Some of us were fresh grads who spent years building our careers here. One colleague literally just started a family and recently committed to a BTO. Another was supporting ageing parents. We are just normal Singaporeans trying to build stable lives here.”

Feeling somewhat betrayed by the system, he asked: “What exactly is the Singaporean worker being protected for? They promised us that we would be protected; that’s how they get votes. But is that what is really happening?”

“And before anyone says ‘just upskill’, many of us already did everything right. Good schools, good internships, long hours. I don’t know what the answer is anymore, but I know a lot more locals are feeling this quietly than people realise.”

“It’s not something new, especially in the current market”

In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor said situations like this are exactly why more locals have become “cynical” about the supposed path to success.

“Locals are told to study hard, upskill, serve NS, buy BTO, support parents, and trust the system. Then, when layoffs come, they suddenly discover the company’s loyalty is to cost, headcount politics, and global manpower flexibility. No need to blame individual foreigners. The real anger should be at the policy and corporate structure that lets companies take Singapore’s benefits while treating Singaporeans as optional.”

Another stated, “The writing was on the wall for the past few years. Many tech jobs here will likely be gone in a decade.”

A third Redditor shared a similar view, saying, “Sorry to hear about your situation. Unfortunately, AI is coming for lots of jobs that were previously immune to layoffs, especially in tech and other white-collar functions such as finance, legal, analytics, etc.” 

They added, “As to why an employer would selectively terminate Singaporeans and spare the others baffles me, especially a big tech company that is very careful in ensuring it does not violate any laws, DEI, or other parameters. If you see a pattern, then it may be worth notifying the authorities.”

Not everyone in the discussion, however, sympathised with the original poster’s frustration.

Some commenters urged him not to dwell too much on the retrenchment.

One said, “Everyone gets laid off at least once in their life, everyone. Only those super lucky people never face it. This is a fact of life. You can do everything right and still get laid off. I would advise you to get your head on straight and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You will go down dark roads that will be very difficult to recover from.”

Another wrote, “Getting laid off the first time, you would feel angry and resentful. But do note that it’s not something new, especially in the current market. I came across a person who got laid off three times in a row. These are uncontrollable circumstances, so don’t harp on it. Move on to something new and hopefully better.”

In other news, a Singaporean woman shared on social media that she ended up creating a detailed 3D sunlight simulation of her future home after her family and friends became unusually concerned about how much sunlight the unit would receive throughout the day.

Posting on Reddit’s AskSingapore forum on Friday (May 15), the woman said that after she and her partner secured a unit, people around them began asking highly specific questions about its lighting conditions, such as how many hours of sunlight the flat would get, which rooms would receive the strongest natural light, what time the sun would hit certain areas of the home, and even which exact direction the unit was facing.

Read more: ‘How much sun will the flat get?’ — Singaporean goes as far as creating a 3D simulation after repeated questioning about future home

This article (Singapore worker says layoffs left him questioning the promise of stability for locals) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: A 27-year-old worker who recently got laid off is now stressing over how she’s going to keep up with her student loan payments without a steady income coming in.

In a post on the r/singaporefi subreddit, the woman shared that she still owes around S$8,000 on her student bank loan. Under the repayment plan, she has to pay about S$680 every month, with the loan set to mature sometime in the middle of next year.

“I know this debt doesn’t sound like much, and realistically, it’s straightforward enough to pay off, but the complication stems from me losing my job (company laid off a lot of staff due to downsizing) a few months ago,” she wrote.

“I’ve been applying for jobs almost every day since then, and I’ve not had any luck. I’m getting to a point where the little bit of savings I was starting to develop has been used to pay for my student loan each month, and I’m worried I won’t land a job in time for the next deduction in June.”

The woman added that although she studied psychology, she has expanded her job search beyond her field and even started applying for retail and F&B jobs just to secure some form of income. But so far, most of the responses she’s received have been rejection emails.

Trying to buy herself some time, she also contacted the bank to ask if she could defer her payment for a month. However, she said the bank rejected the request.

“I tried calling [the bank] to explain the situation and ask if it’s possible to defer payment for a month so I have a bit more time but was told they don’t allow deferment for student loans and to ‘try to get the funds by end of June.’”

Feeling anxious and stuck, she turned to Reddit to ask, “Are there any options I can consider, or is it really a bopian (nothing can be done) situation? My parents are semi-retired and aren’t able to help, and I don’t have siblings either. I’ve never missed a loan payment, so I really don’t want to risk getting a legal letter or anything like that.”

“Just pick up whatever part-time jobs that you can get”

In the comments section, several Singaporean Reddit users chimed in with practical advice.

One commenter pointed out that if “she is still living with her parents and does not have to worry about rent or mortgage payments,” she may need to temporarily cut back on expenses as much as possible while continuing her job search.

They added, “Eat at home every day. Eat Maggie Mee if you need to. Entry-level F&B or retail usually has 0 barriers to entry; did you apply to those? ”

Another commented, “The main challenge is to put aside or amass S$680 to meet June’s payment. If you must, you need to reach out to relatives or friends to help with this 680. It may not even be S$680 unless you really have nothing to contribute towards this ATM. Look up tuition gigs.”

A third remarked, “Just pick up whatever part-time jobs that you can get. I see so many F&B businesses hiring waitstaff.”

In other news, a 33-year-old man has sparked discussion online after sharing that he spends 10 to 12 hours with his 32-year-old girlfriend during each meetup twice a week, while also footing almost every bill.

In a Reddit post, the man said he started wondering whether their relationship dynamics were actually normal after feeling increasingly drained “emotionally, physically, and financially.”

Read more: ‘Is this normal?’: Man says he meets girlfriend for 10–12 hours twice weekly and pays every bill

This article (Worker, 27, stressed over finances after being laid off: ‘I have to pay S$680 every month’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Getting laid off may have become increasingly normalised in today’s job market, but that does not make the experience any less painful for those affected.

Recently, a Singaporean took to Reddit to open up about how being laid off has deeply affected the way they see themselves.

In their post, they shared that they have been carrying a persistent sense of being “useless,” describing it as a feeling that refuses to go away no matter how hard they try to stay occupied or push forward.

The Singaporean said they have been unemployed for a few months now, and while they have been consistently sending out applications and going for interviews, they still have not managed to land a job.

“An inner voice keeps telling me that the problem is me. That I’m never getting a job because I’m not good enough,” they wrote, adding that it’s been especially tough seeing others around them move on and land new roles. “My partner thinks it’s because their roles are not as niche as mine.”

In an effort to keep themselves grounded, they said they have been trying to build structure into their days. This includes continuing job applications, going to the gym, and shifting towards more intentional, role-specific applications instead of mass applying. They have also been meeting friends and professional contacts over coffee.

“This is what I have done so far, [but] at the end of the day, especially before I sleep, these negative thoughts creep in.”

Realising they had run out of ways to manage things on their own, they eventually reached out to others for advice, asking, “Fellow job hunters, how do you cope?”

“There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just insanely hard to get hired now.”

The Singaporean’s post sparked a wave of responses from Reddit users who had also struggled with despair after being laid off.

One said, “I’m in the same boat as you. My job scope is quite niche, and I’ve been jobless due to a company-wide layoff last November. I feel the same despair—mainly because I’ve 2 young kids and a mortgage to pay off.”

“My wife has also quit her job to take care of our 2nd kid while I try to find work. I got a decent severance but the uncertainty in not knowing when I’m getting a new job and my wife quitting makes me worry. I try to distract myself with gym and caring for my daughter during the day while my wife serves her notice.”

Another shared, “I went through the same after getting laid off last year; that voice in your head is a liar. What helped me was treating the job search like a part-time gig and giving myself permission to exist outside work. There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s just insanely hard to get hired now.”

A third commented, “This happened to me too. Volunteering made me feel like I was contributing something every day and offering myself in service to others. It was a big confidence boost, and I made a lot of friends. I even ended up finding work through one of the connections I made.”

A fourth user added, “Hey bro. I got the same feeling as you before. I tried to keep myself occupied with the SkillsFuture courses while applying for jobs.”

In other news, a woman who has been married for 20 years confessed on social media that her husband has “never contributed financially to the household” and instead spends his money on pets such as “hamster cages, parrots, fish, and dogs.”

In an anonymous post on the NUSWhispers Facebook page, she said she married him “for love” and truly believed they “would build a life together.”

Read more: Singapore mum of three says she paid for the family for 20 years while husband spent on pets

This article (Laid-off Singaporean says he feels ‘useless’ as relentless job search yields no results) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.