One of my HR friend working in an MNC has said that once MOM's Fair Consideration Framework is in place, she will expect more work to do as she needs to put up in the WDA's job-bank and needs to adhere to the MOM regulations.
She is quite fed up of netizens who accuse private sector employers who discriminate against Singaporeans over foreigners. She understands that there are some black sheep such as in the IT industry, banks and hospitals who seem to prefer foreigners over locals.
But then again, she argued that most private sector employers still prefer to hire locals due to the foreigners levy which is an added cost. She also doesn't discriminate against race or age and she just wants people to do the job and have the technical skills to raise productivity.
For instance, her department also hired a 40 year old environment engineer who is on the same rank and job title as a 28 year old environment engineer. The reason: Her department is expanding. She just wants to fill up that position quickly so that there's no downtime in the production line. She doesn't really care if that 40 year old can work well with 28 year old. All she wants is to see that there is no hiccups.
She also noted that it is in fact government sector who choose to discriminate against Singaporeans based on age.
For instance, once you hit above 35, it's been rumoured that it's very difficult to get a government job because of your vast experience. Most entry level positions are for fresh graduates and the higher ranked positions are filled by their own internal staff who are promoted, thus making it harder for middle aged people to get a Govt job.
If you have gone to Careers.gov.sg, the job portal managed by Government, many job vacancies are re-advertised again and again. Some positions can be left unfilled for a year because public sector employers are very picky and selective.
On the other hand, it's still relatively easier to get a job in private sector even if you are retrenched and middle age than public sector.
When Motorola Singapore shut down it's mobile phone operations in 2010, there is a massive retrenchment exercise. Yet, based on the Linkedin Profiles, many still found job employment despite their middle age.
It's actually the government sector that needs to town the line.
CJ
TRS Contributor