June 2015

32 286

32
LETTERS Readers’ thoughts and
comments about EL
June15
Email us at
Best Letter
We want to hear from you! Send us your
thoughts on the magazine, or on any
subject under the sun. To help her toast
her recent holiday in Bali, Sarah Robinson
wins a bottle of champagne.
Happy Travels
Through your magazine we were lucky enough to
win a two-night stay at FC Residence in Bali – and
it was wonderful!
In keeping with the very relaxed atmosphere, we
were able to have breakfast when and where we
wanted. One evening, we dined under the stars, with
the chef catering for the kids and a vegetarian. Our
affable hosts Sally and Pierre were always on hand
to recommend a place to visit or eat, arrange a taxi
ride, or simply pass the time of day. In fact, everyone
went the extra mile to make our stay special.
Thank you, Expat Living . And thank you FC
Residence Bali: We hope to visit you again!
Sarah Robinson
Here to Stay?
Could some room be made
in your magazine for more
of a realistic, “warts and
all” take on Singapore life,
please? Most expats are
here for career and income
maximisation reasons, not
because they love living in
Singapore.
It works really well if you
are on an employment
pass, relatively young and childless. But if you are educated,
used to being economically active and are here as a trailing
spouse, Singapore eventually bores you witless.
It also does not work so well if you are older and married
with children, having to live in relatively cramped living
conditions with expensive education and health bills to
pay. Many families we have known have left while we have
been here (since 2008), usually after three to five years.
Those who stay longer tend to be singles or couples with
no children, or those who have married locals.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Singapore is ideal as a shorter-
termstint, but my doubt is whether it stacks up for any longer
for most people. For some, I’m sure it does, but for us, and I
wonder for howmany others, it doesn’t. (Extract fromemail.)
J. Sentance
Ed: See page 126 for our article on the trend for
localised employment packages, and those who
come to stay not only because there are jobs to be
found here, but also because it’s safe, clean, warm
and well located for travel. In our April issue, too, we
interviewed expats who live in HDB flats and talked
openly about their issues.
Many of our own expat staff (mostly on dependant
passes) have been here for 10 years or more. Most
need to work to pay for school fees and other
expenses: they have interesting careers, enjoy
affordable home help and make the most of it.
As for not being able to work, we’ve published
many inspirational stories of those who’ve taken
this opportunity to follow their dreams: embarking
on further education, joining associations or
volunteering, which often leads to a new career. We
feel we have to make the most of wherever we are!
LIFE&FAMILY
98 June15
The New Expatriate
Research confirms theanecdotes: the timesare changing
It’s often thought that an expat in Singapore is someone living on
a generous company package in an expansive black-and-white
home,withdriver,gardenerandnanny.Thismighthavebeencase
in 1995, but the reality in 2015 is thatmore andmore expats are
now employed on local contracts.What does thismean, and how
do theymanage life in theworld’smostexpensivecity?DRYVONNE
McNULTY fromExpatResearch takesanhonest lookat real life for
Singapore’snew expatswho don’t receive the big packages, and
debunks themyth thatallexpatshereare living it large.
Twenty years ago, being an expatwas seen as a quickway to get rich fast,
withmost employees receiving full compensation and benefits packages
thatcoveredeverything fromhousing,schools,andcars, to taxequalisation,
home leave, and even cold-weather clothing allowances!While some expats are
still fortunate tobe livingon fullpackages,mostofusdon’t.
Industry researchshows that “localising”(seebox, right)expatriateshasbeen the
dominantcompensationapproach inSingapore,HongKongandShanghai since
2004, incontrast to thepredominantly full-packageapproachof20yearsago.This
changemeans thatmoreexpat familiesare relocating toSingapore,or remaining
Localisationdescribes the
companypracticeof replacing
an expat compensation
package with something
comparable to that offered
to locals. It often includes
reducing base salary, and
almost always involves
eliminating incentives,
allowances, home country
social security and retirement
plans. Localised expats are
viewed and treated like local
employees and offered few
or no special benefits in
recognition of their “special”
statusas foreigners.
SalvadorManaois Iii |Dreamstime.com