What is the justification for this figure in the first place?

[NOW HIRING: Admin Executive, Entry Level Position]

Job Description:

• -Handle filing and company paperwork
• -Handle HR works
• -Handle company accounts and monthly account reports
• -Be boss’s and managers’ secretary and take minutes
• -Must travel around to handle sales for the company
• -Handle company’s social media accounts
• -Do paid ads for the company
• -Handle events for the company
• -Handle public relations for the company
• -Be boss’s personal driver

The ideal candidate should have:

• -Ph.D. in Quantum Physics from a top 10 international university
• -Must have 50 years of work experience
• -Must have your own transport
• -Must win multiple awards and have several renowned pieces of research under your name
• -Must have IQ level over 9000

Additional Job Information:

• -Workdays: Mondays to Sundays 9am to 10pm
• -Cannot simply off day
• -No compassionate leave if your immediate family members passed away
• -No medical leave given
• -No annual leave
• -Even if you are close to dying, you still need to come in to work

Salary: RM1200 (non negotiable)

Ever seen these kinds of impossible job advertisements before? Although the above faux job advert is exaggerated, it does not mean they do not exist. Now and then, we may see a few job ads with impossible job requirements getting posted.

Why The Disproportionate Salary to Workload Ratio?

Here’s the thing with a lot of jobs offered these days. The workload is meant for 3 to 5 people to do. However, the bosses can hire 1 person to do all 5 person’s jobs for a minimal salary. If you ask for a higher salary, they can move on to the next candidate.

Previously, before Covid19 hits us, the salary to workload figure is already low enough. After Covid19 has hit, the issue has become more apparent and obvious. Employers know that a lot of people are unemployed and desperate for a job. So they can conveniently dangle salaries as low as rm1200 (sometimes even lower) for a job that’s meant for 3-5 people to do.

Is that even legal? Can companies actually do that?

I can’t say for sure what companies can or cannot do. However, it does come across as very unfair (unironically). You can tire yourself doing all that is required from the company and you will still not do enough.

If you choose not to take it up or speak up against your employers, you can easily be removed from the company. “If you don’t want to do the job, I can get someone to do the job for an even cheaper salary” has become a common response from employers.

As shameful as it sounds, this is the reality we are living with now. It’s not helping our cause either now that the price of a lot of essential items has escalated to an all-time high price. In a few years (or even months), the price of a head of cabbage can ironically go up to rm100.

Work multiple jobs and die early

I am sure that a lot of us have to work multiple jobs to sustain even our basic living costs. Don’t be surprised if you die before you reach the age of 50 years old. Or the fact that even if you lived past 50 years old, you will be working till you drop dead.

There aren’t a lot of jobs to go around for everyone. Every year we see millions of graduates leaving universities even if it is from Malaysian universities.

Off the beaten path

Since that an office job can no longer pay us even a living salary, then it’s pretty clear to a lot of youngsters what it means. You can expect to see a lot of youngsters deciding to skip that office job and become influencers instead.

As cringe as “being an influencer” sounds, I gotta admit that if it works, then it works. Because, hey look, if you can earn more from being a YouTube star or a social media star, then why not? Why should people slave away in a 9 am to 6 pm office job, be yelled at by their bosses, and get paid peanuts? Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

Do what you got to do to survive

If you need to work an extra job for the extra income, go for it. No one is stopping you. You need to feed yourself (and your family). That minimum salary from your company isn’t gonna sustain you in the long run. You’ll need to do anything to survive.

Lydia is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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*The views expressed are those of the author. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.