SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker shared on Reddit that he’s struggling to decide whether to stay in his current job, which pays around S$4,000 a month, or accept a new job offer that pays S$600 more.
In his post, he explained that the new role seems appealing to him because, aside from the higher salary, it also has a “clear career progression path.”
The problem, however, is that the new company is much farther away, and the commute would stretch to about an hour each way, compared to the 20 minutes he currently spends travelling. The job also comes with “fixed office hours,” no “work-from-home” days, and fewer annual leave days, 18 instead of the 21 he currently enjoys.
In comparison, he said his current role offers “more flexibility” and is much closer to home, which matters a lot to him as his child tends to fall sick from time to time and he needs to be available at short notice. He also feels appreciated by management, sharing that “he was promoted last year and received an award this year.”
“The management here genuinely recognises my work and contributions, as shown through the promotion and award and their awareness of my interests and goals. And I believe I perform well and can usually complete most of my tasks within half a day.”
On top of that, he recently received another opportunity within the company as it prepares to set up a new branch.
“My manager will be leading it, and they would like my colleague and me to take on new roles as part of the team. The new role does not come with an immediate salary increase, aside from the standard 5 per cent annual increment,” he said.
“The job scope has not been finalised, and the role will only start in about 4 months. However, they are able to provide written confirmation, and there is long-term career progression up to senior leadership if I choose to pursue it.”
Feeling torn between the higher pay from the new company and the flexibility and recognition he currently enjoys, he asked other forum users for their thoughts on which path he should take.
“The pay increase is not enough to justify a 3x longer commute.”
In the Reddit thread, many users advised the post author to remain in his current job, as they felt the extra S$600 a month is not worth losing three days of annual leave, giving up flexibility, and facing a much longer commute.
One user said, “Stay. This is a no-brainer. The intangible benefits of your current role far outweigh the monthly S$600.”
Another wrote, “The pay increase is not enough to justify a 3x longer commute, 120 minutes vs. 40 minutes both ways. This is not even factoring in the current WFH days and 3 days of annual leave. S$600 is not even 20%.”
A third added, “The 1-hour commute will eat at you. Daily. Every morning you wake up earlier and sleep later.”
On the other hand, some users encouraged him to go for the new job.
One commented, “Please jump. My mantra is always to take the black-and-white offer over promises that may not come. In my early thirties, I was only earning mid-S$4k, where my bosses promised me a career progression. However, I still jumped, and now, in my late thirties, my pay has reached more than S$10k after jumping a few more times.”
In other news, a passenger took to social media to share that a Grab driver deliberately delayed arriving at the designated pickup point to charge her a S$5 waiting fee.
In a post on a local online forum, the passenger explained that she booked a Grab Premium ride because she was travelling with her baby and a stroller pram.
Read more: Passenger alleges Grab driver deliberately delayed arrival to collect S$5 waiting fee
