SINGAPORE: A man reached out for help online after his 63-year-old father was retrenched from his clerical job, which paid S$2,800 a month.
Posting on r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, on Wednesday (Jan 15), the man explained that his father had been actively trying to find new employment, but unfortunately, no one has been willing to hire him.
“This is a desperate plea for help. My dad is still relatively healthy. He’s only a PSLE cert holder, but able to speak conversational english and chinese, read and write to be understood. Also, he does not have a drivers license,” the man wrote.
He also mentioned that after his father lost his job, he’s now the sole breadwinner in the family. With his fresh graduate income, he’s been supporting his family of four, including his parents and other relatives who can’t work because of their age.
“Do you guys have any suggestions on how we can help him seek employment please? We are looking at roles like office pantry cleaners, possibly building security guards, or anything of those sort. Also he would prefer it to be a non-cigarette environment as he suffers from emphysema,” the man asked the community.
“My dad had to become a Grab driver to support us too.”
The post received a lot of responses from the community, with people sharing ideas and possible job leads to help his dad get back on his feet.
One individual said, “If he’s willing to work as a security officer, they’re paying 2.8k/month with PWM. Downside is 12h shifts/up to 6 days work week. Requires basic licenses but it’s easy to get in due to the desperate manpower they need. Supervisor can go 3.4k.”
Another shared, “My mum age 60+ with basic English and Chinese was hired by one of the community centres as admin. Pay is roughly the same (or lower?) maybe you can try poking around the people’s association to look for openings.”
A third suggested, “If he is willing to work in F&B, I know a company that is happy to hire seniors that are willing to work.
Hours can be flexible if he needs but if he works full time the salary can be the same or a little more than what he is getting now. Feel free to DM me.”
Several others recommended that his father consider exploring job opportunities in airports, hotels, malls, or restaurants. Additionally, they suggested looking into becoming a Grab driver, as it could offer more flexible hours and a reliable source of income.
One individual shared, “Good luck bro, but my dad had to become a Grab driver to support us too. He was 71 and has been doing it for the last two years, but can see age catching up to him already.”
For senior jobseekers
If you’re a Singaporean aged 50 or older and currently unemployed, you can sign up for the Employment Support for Seniors programme to help you re-enter the workforce.
This initiative, administered by the Centre for Seniors (CFS) and supported by Workforce Singapore, aims to help seniors become job-ready and connect them with meaningful job opportunities from progressive organizations.
Those interested can visit this website to learn more and get started.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
