Is Salary Worth the Stress: Unfair Workplaces Drain Both Employees and Profits

This week, a close friend sat across from me with tears in his eyes. He had worked hard, delivered what was asked of him, and yet found himself stripped of his salary because of a supervisor’s unfair judgment. Instead of accountability, he was met with defensiveness. Instead of support, he was left feeling powerless. As an HR consultant, I could guide him through the process, but I could not erase the deeper wound. The deep cuts due to the feeling that in his company, people did not matter.

His question to me has not left my mind: “Is the salary still worth it if you’re treated unfairly?”

HIDDEN TAX OF HARASSMENT

We often treat money as the ultimate motivator. Yet no paycheck is large enough to outweigh the damage of working in an environment where harassment, bias, or hostility festers. Economists call this the hidden tax of toxic workplaces. It drains energy, stifles creativity, and ultimately eats away at profitability. Employees under constant stress eventually disengage. Turnover rises. Recruitment costs balloon.

Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report puts a staggering price tag on it. Disengagement and toxic cultures cost the global economy more than US$8.8 trillion (S$11.3 trillion) every year. That figure is not abstract. It shows up in weaker quarterly earnings, missed growth targets, and declining valuations.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

LEGAL AND FINANCIAL SHIFTS

Singapore has been moving decisively to confront this challenge. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) defines workplace harassment as behavior that causes alarm, distress, or intimidation, from threatening language to cyberbullying, stalking, and sexual harassment. This is not only an HR problem. It is a matter of compliance, governance, and risk management.

The Protection from Harassment Act (POHA), in place since 2014, already gave victims civil and criminal remedies whether harassment occurred in person or online. The new Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) 2024 goes further by outlawing discrimination and requiring employers to build grievance-handling systems. Unlike earlier guidelines, this law has teeth. It allows enforcement action now and private legal claims in the near future.

For businesses, the message is clear: failure to act fairly is no longer just a reputational stain. It can become a balance sheet liability.

WHY INVESTORS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION

Investors understand risk, and workplace culture is increasingly recognized as a material one. A company that tolerates harassment, drives attrition, or attracts lawsuits is a company that risks underperforming peers. Today’s ESG-conscious funds, which control trillions in assets, specifically screen for social and governance issues. When a company fails its employees, it often fails the very metrics that dictate whether capital flows in or out.

Workplace toxicity does not just harm people. It weakens profitability. It shows up in mounting legal expenses, lower productivity, shrinking margins, and weaker shareholder returns. It can depress valuations, complicate mergers, and even close off access to ESG-linked financing.

McKinsey research makes the financial case unmistakable. Companies that prioritize fairness and inclusion outperform their peers by as much as 25% in profitability. Fairness is not a soft, optional value. It is a measurable driver of enterprise value.

A NEW DEFINITION OF VALUE

When my friend asked if his paycheck was worth the humiliation, what he was really asking about was value. A salary can cover rent, groceries, and bills. But it cannot compensate for lost dignity or the fear of speaking up. For employers, the deeper question is whether they can afford the risks of ignoring fairness. For investors, the real issue is whether they should back companies that allow toxic cultures to persist.

The truth is becoming clearer. The companies that will last are the ones that treat fairness not as charity but as strategy. Workplaces that respect employees protect themselves from legal threats, secure investor confidence, and strengthen long-term valuation. They build resilience, loyalty, and brand equity that money alone cannot buy.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

At the end of the day, the companies worth working for (and worth investing in) are not the ones that simply pay the most. They are the ones that value people the most.

Sources: 1,2,3 & 4

 

 

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Can a Company Reject Your Resignation in Singapore?

A friend recently shared her frustration with me. She had been carrying the bulk of the workload in her company while her general manager basked in the recognition. When she finally reached her breaking point and tried to resign, her manager dismissed her request with a sharp remark: “You’re leaving when I’m leaving.” It sounded outrageous, but it echoed a question I had just seen debated online: Can a company in Singapore actually refuse a resignation, particularly when an employee offers to buy out their notice period?

On Reddit, one employee described being burned out and unable to cope with new management, yet afraid their employer might block their resignation. The responses were telling. One commenter wrote, “I called MOM because I was afraid my previous company would reject my buyout. It turns out that under the Employment Act you can either serve notice or buy yourself out with compensation.” Another added, “You are always allowed to walk out the door, but you have to offer compensation in accordance with your contract.” A third cut to the chase: “No, they cannot reject your buyout. If they could, that would be akin to slavery or forced labor.”

The law leaves little room for doubt. Under Singapore’s Employment Act, employees may resign at any time, either by serving the notice period in their contract or by paying their employer an amount equivalent to that notice. Employers have no legal right to reject a resignation or prevent an employee from leaving. In fact, the Ministry of Manpower makes it clear that it is an offence for an employer to disallow an employee from resigning.

Still, not every departure is clean. There are situations where an employee feels cornered into resigning, which raises the issue of wrongful dismissal. Singapore’s guidelines define wrongful dismissal as cases involving discrimination (e.g., age, race, gender, or religion) or retaliation against employees for exercising their rights. In such circumstances, employees can seek mediation through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management or file a claim with the Employment Claims Tribunals.

For those preparing to resign, the most effective approach is to understand your contract and assert your rights. Submitting a formal resignation letter that states your final day of employment reduces ambiguity. Remaining professional, transparent, and courteous may ease the process, but ultimately, the decision to leave is yours to make. If harassment or threats surface, documenting every incident and consulting legal advice ensures you protect yourself.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Resignation is not a privilege an employer grants. It is a right protected by law. The real challenge is not whether you are allowed to leave, but whether you manage the transition in a way that allows you to move forward on your own terms.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

 

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Jobs: Foodpanda, Ministry of Manpower, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design are hiring

job search

How’s your job search coming along? If you’re currently looking for contract positions in vendor onboarding, customer operations, and research, we have good news for you. Foodpanda, Ministry of Manpower, and the Singapore University of Technology and Design are hiring those positions respectively.

Here are the deets.

#1: Foodpanda – Vendor Onboarding Agent (1 year)
foodpanda logo

Image Credits: 8 Days

Foodpanda claims to be the leading, on-demand food delivery company in Singapore, bringing thousands of your best-loved restaurants online into your home or office – fast! The brand is all about bringing on the smartest folks as they continue to grow with an “all hands on deck” environment and hire those who can thrive in a startup culture. 

They are looking for a highly-driven and motivated Vendor Onboarding Agent (1 year) for their team in Singapore. If you are looking for a place where you can gain hands-on exposure and have a direct impact, then this may be the place for you! The ideal candidate should be comfortable working both independently and closely with the management team.

This position will report to the Vendor Onboarding Team Lead.

Job Qualifications
  • Highly communicative with a pleasant personality
  • Fluent in written and spoken English; other language skills are a plus
  • Proactive and self-motivated individual who thrives on meeting targets
  • Prior call centre experience a plus, but not compulsory
Key Responsibilities
  • Onboard potential foodpanda vendors on the platform via phone calls
  • Create content from restaurant menu photo and transfer the information to excel template according to the right format
  • Assist the sales team on face-to-face/call training sessions with potential vendors on “how to sell on foodpanda”
  • Setting up relevant accounts for potential vendors for them to start selling on foodpanda
  • Able to understand and operate applications 
  • Any other ad-hoc tasks as requested by the manager
How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

#2: Ministry of Manpower – Manager, Customer Operations, Regulations and Customer Operations Department (Labour Relations & Workplaces Division)
Ministry of Manpower building

Image Credits: Yahoo News Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) aims to develop a productive workforce and progressive workplaces, for Singaporeans to have better jobs and secure retirement. 

In a rapidly changing global economic landscape, Singapore’s workforce and workplace practices have to remain adaptable. MOM’s policies help enhance the workforce’s profile, promote lifelong employability and income security for Singaporeans, as well as foster excellent working environments that are fair and safe.

As a MOM officer, you will get to work in a range of exciting areas to help the Ministry attain its goals, including manpower policy, industrial relations, workplace safety, and foreign employment regulation. MOM is committed to creating an inclusive employee experience for all.

Specific to the job position, you will be primarily responsible for providing timely, reliable advice to customers on the Employment Act and employment-related issues. You will also assist to promote and strengthen the service culture of the division.

Job Qualifications

You should have:

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Strong empathy to be able to understand the issue from the customer’s perspective
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Excel to manage data

It will be good if you also have:

  • Prior experience in a customer service role
  • Background in Human Resource or knowledge of the Employment Act
Key Responsibilities
  • Manage and respond to enquiries and feedback on the Employment Act and employment-related issues through phone calls and written replies
  • Compile and analyze data collated from enquiries to support operations planning and policy reviews
  • Review and build on the database of sample and reference replies to improve knowledge management
  • Review and update FAQs on Employment Act on the MOM website
  • Coordinate with other departments and government agencies on the implementation of service initiatives.
How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

#3: Singapore University of Technology and Design – Research Associate/Assistant (Contract)
Singapore University of Technology and Design

Image Credits: The Straits Times

The Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University of Technology and Design is seeking two Research Associates/Assistants with a strong research background, to contribute to multi-disciplinary and longitudinal research on Open Loop Careers. The research area is related to the Future of Work, and empowering Singaporean workers to cope with the changes in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how working adults make career decisions in this context. The research areas are on adult learning, career development, and education.

The Research Associate/Assistant will contribute to the design and execution of a longitudinal mix-method study and its associated data collection and analysis, as well as assisting in the preparation of academic publications, reports, and policy papers. The Research Associate/Assistant will contribute predominantly to either qualitative or quantitative aspects of the research while being trained in the other research methods under the mentorship of the Research Fellow.

Job Qualifications
  • Masters or Bachelors in Education, Psychology, Social Science, Behavioural Science or related fields.
  • Good knowledge/demonstrated interest in adult learning and/or career development research.
  • Good knowledge/demonstrated interest in the social sciences and methods.
  • Demonstrate knowledge in either
    • Using qualitative methods, including literature reviews/evidence synthesis, the conduct of in-depth interviews and focus groups, and qualitative data analysis, or
    • Using quantitative methods, including longitudinal study design, literature reviews/evidence synthesis, conducting surveys, and quantitative data analysis.
  • Prior experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods is a plus, but not essential.
  • Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
  • Willing to learn new research methodologies.
Key Responsibilities
  • Contribute to the literature review/evidence synthesis.
  • Contribute to designing and conducting a longitudinal survey and assist in the analysis of the data.
  • Develop interview topic guides, arrange, and conduct interviews and focus groups.
  • Conduct qualitative or quantitative data analyses.
  • Collaborate in a team of researchers to conduct fieldwork.
  • Conduct workshops with students and external participants.
  • Support the team in project management of the research, including technical aspects and budgeting and administrative tasks.
  • Liaising with external stakeholders.
  • Assist in preparing papers for peer-reviewed publication, reports, and policy papers.
  • Additional duties as may reasonably be required within the scope described.
How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

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