Culminating end of a Great Silk Road Journey - Xinjiang China !

Call for a proposed Underemployment Supplement Scheme (USS)

I agree with MP Zainal, on that long-term underemployment workers will lose confidence and drive to update their skills to stay relevant.

In my view, underemployment can be classified under 2 types: voluntary and involuntary.

Voluntary underemployment could consists of workers who desire a less stressful job, perhaps more work-life balance, and to spend time with family…etc.  These workers voluntarily took a drastic pay cut to look for alternative employment which offers them perhaps a less hectic lifestyle.

After decades of working in the same industry perhaps they feel it is time to look for a simpler less stressful day job, less overtime, less weekend’s commitments, less mid night shifts, less standby duties etc.

Whereas, involuntary underemployment, on the other hand I believed, formed the bulk of the underemployed in Singapore.  Organizational downsizing, retrenchments, forced resignations, chronic and critical health issues forced these workers to leave their existing jobs which they could be holding for years with certain level of income.  They are forced to accept or perform a less ‘qualified’ job perhaps at a fraction of their last pay.

There are instances of PhD researchers becoming taxi-drivers, managers relating to security guards, cooks, delivery drivers etc… I believed a fair amount of underemployed workers are also unable to perform certain work related tasks owing to health issues, such as workers undergoing chemotherapy due to cancer etc.

Regardless of voluntary or involuntary, underemployed workers nonetheless tend lose out financially, economically and socially. Subsequently they will lead to undesirable impact on mental health, and other social aspects of their lives, or even marital dissolutions etc …resulting in social discontent and other dire consequences if these underemployed numbers were to grow.

In my opinion I feel that the various programmes under the Government’s Adapt and Grow employment-support initiatives are grossly insufficient and ineffective.

In order for the workers to undergo training or re-skilling during under-employment periods, workers will need around 24 to 36 months for up-skilling, retraining or even PCP.  During this transition, the workers and their family members, will be in great need, of that extra help, financially, to tide them over these difficult times.

One of the many financial incentives to tide them over this period of under-employment could be in terms of wage supplement as tabled in Appendix A.

When one door closes, very few or even no doors are open for these underemployed. Workers in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s, with vast working experiences in their subject matter domain and particular skillsets in that particular industry are unable to find meaningful employment that pays them a decent wage. It will be indeed a very sad day for the society and the nation as a whole when there are no more dreams nor fulfilling working opportunities for the “gainfully employed” Singaporeans.

Appendix A

Age of under-employed workers	Worked more than 5 continuous years in one job* prior to under-employment	Worked more than 10 continuous years in *one job* prior to under-employment	Review of job history and salaries prior to under-employment
Age 35 to 40	$200 monthly or 10% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	$300 monthly or 10% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	Subjected to case-by-case review upon application of supplement.
Age 41 to 50	$300 monthly or 15% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	$500 monthly or 15% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	Subjected to case-by-case review upon application of supplement.
Age 51 to 60	$500 monthly or 20% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	$600 monthly or 20% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	Approval granted upon direct application of supplement. No review needed.
Age 61 onwards	$600 monthly or 25% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	$900 monthly or 25% of last highest paid job salary* whichever lower	Automatic direct credit of supplement once approved. No review needed.