SINGAPORE: A worried son has turned to social media for advice after his elderly father, who is in his early 60s, was dismissed from his job only weeks after being hired.
In a post on Reddit’s r/askSingapore forum, the son shared that his father had recently secured employment as a cleaner at one of Singapore’s top universities. However, just a few weeks into the role, his father was terminated after taking medical leave.
“He was told he is not able to take MC in the first 3 months. I don’t know why there is such a clause when the work is for aged people,” he said.
“To be honest, I don’t really speak to my dad often, as my parents are divorced, but when I heard about it, I was surprised that unpaid leave wasn’t available for his situation, but an immediate termination.”
Distressed by the situation, the son asked if there were platforms that could help his father find work that does not require high educational qualifications. “I’m so stressed out over all this,” he wrote.
Responses quickly poured in, with many users offering job suggestions and sharing similar experiences. One commenter asked about the type of work the father was looking for and outlined several options that may be suitable for older workers.
“Are you looking for something that’s relatively full-time or part-time/ad hoc?” they asked.
“If they’re ad hoc ones, my parents (retired) have found part-time jobs such as exam invigilators, ushers, being patients for new trainee doctors to practice/rehearse on, focus/survey groups that pay S$50-100 per session, to more mundane ones such as cooking for childcare centres (I think you need certifications for these) to being temp workers for packing delivery packages.”
Another commented, “There’s a company called Evergreen that is a vendor for MBS; it’s casual work, banquets, and casino and hotel staff. They pay at the end of the shift at the counter during office hours; you book the shifts you want that are available.”
A third wrote, “Hi! The AWWA centre in Fernvale Link is looking for part-time cleaners! It is an early intervention centre. Not sure if it is near your dad”
A fourth, meanwhile, suggested roles within community settings. “Can he consider applying to work at active ageing centres or senior care if he is still physically able? I see a lot of elders working in such roles in the centres near my house.”
In other news, a woman shared on social media that she’s grown increasingly baffled and mildly alarmed by some of her friends who keep ‘joking’ that she should leave her money to their children when she dies.
“I am not even rich,” she said. “I work and own my own house and am not in debt other than the mortgage, and I probably will have very little left by the time I die, if I die of old age, but some friends keep ‘jokingly’ asking me to leave my money to their kid.”
