Singapore workers would be dismayed to learn that 500 companies had to be put on a watch list over the past two years for having favoured foreigners unfairly in their hiring. Why are these firms resorting to such practices? After all, simple business sense should have dictated that the best person for the job should be hired. Instead, some employers believe that local professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) are either unable or unwilling to do the job, and so they write them off without proper consideration.
There are measures in place to prevent such malpractices. The Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices enjoin on employers the need to make reasonable efforts to attract and consider Singaporeans for job positions on merit, and to train and develop their potential and careers. The efforts include ensuring that jobs advertised are open to Singaporeans. It is pointless to abide by this rule just formally, and to later discard job applications by locals out of hand.
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