[Ask Me Anything] HR regulations, policies & practices

Read Part 1 here .

There have been several topics about HR employment contracts and regulations e.g. off-set notice period using annual leave, flexible benefits, resignation processes, payslips and employment rights. Having been in HR for several years, I realised there's a general lack of awareness or understanding of such matters among young graduates or adults. Personally I hope that our education system can better educate our students on such matters. Meanwhile, I will be happy to respond based on my previous experience and stints at a recruitment agency, union, learning and development.

I will be happy to respond to questions that you may have on your payslip, contract (e.g. is there annual bonus), entitlement (e.g. can I claim workplace injury or specialist medical fees) the Employment Act, tripartite guidelines (e.g. retrenchment), workplace grievances, performance appraisal. Or if you have certain MOM website which you have read and unable to understand (yes I know they write it super vague) I will be happy to explain in laymen term.

Questions in Part 1:

  1. [Link] Wrongful Dismissal - Employer claims (out of the blue) that employee is not performing and asks the employee to leave verbally
  2. [Link] Moonlighting - The current employer has asked employee to go on no-pay-leave until end of the year. Can the employee work with another company?
  3. [Link] Past Salary - Is it fair to be defined more by your current salary and less by the skills/experience required for the position?
  4. [Link] Bond period - Some contracts indicate that if you terminate the contract early, you have to pay a certain amount. Is this enforceable in Singapore?
  5. [Link] Termination - Why is it difficult to fire someone? I'm sure many have met colleagues that perform poorly or are generally assholes, but HR seems reluctant to taken action.
  6. [Link] Restraint of Trade - Some employment contracts state that you are not allowed to work for a competitor or client with x months of leaving the company. Is this legal?
  7. [Link] Fresh Graduate - Should a fresh graduate negotiate starting pay?
  8. [Link] Retrenchment - Is it fair for an employer to make early announce of possible retrenchment?
  9. [Link] Resume - Can I lie about the job or companies on my CV?
  10. [Link] First day - What happens when an employee does not show up on the first day of work?

Questions or Topics that I'm probably unable/unwilling to respond:

  1. Salary benchmarking (e.g. Is $x a good amount?), just google salary reports
  2. Personal Choices (e.g. should I accept/reject this offer)
  3. Macro-level manpower policies (e.g. CECA, Work Passes, Foreign Talents)
  4. How to obtain work passes in Singapore
  5. Questions answered in Part 1
  6. Which industry/organisation I am working at
  7. The list will keep growing...

Important Note:

  1. It is best you do not reveal personal data, names or organisation names. Let's keep things professional and confidential. Should you wish to let me have a look at your confidential information e.g. employment contract, please PM me and I will give you my email address.
  2. There's no intention to misrepresent the law or regulations. If there is an invalid or inaccurate statement, do feel free to point it out and I will edit my post. Please do not POFMA me, I'm just doing pro-bono services here.
  3. Any advice provided is based on the limited information provided by you. There may be other factors, influences or clauses unknown to me. Please do not sue me if you made certain decisions based on my advice and there were negative consequences.
  4. Any advice provided is solely for consideration and does not constitute or amount to professional advice. Please do not sue me if you made certain decisions based on my advice and there were negative consequences.

Credentials: Institute of HR Professional Cert and Certificate of Employment Intermediaries (KAH)

With that said, let's proceed with the AMA, cheers =)