Welcome to the latest edition of ST HeadSTart, bringing you the best of The Straits Times’ career and personal finance coverage every Monday morning. Sign up here to get weekly tips right into your inbox.
Happy Tuesday! Sue-Ann here and I hope you're having a smooth start to 2024.
For most of us, this is the time of year when we find out how we performed in the previous year, through our bonuses - or lack thereof.
I must admit, I do place a somewhat disproportionately high value on my bonus because I see it as a way to gauge how my bosses view my work. So, I would feel demoralised if there is a disparity between how hard I feel I have worked in the preceding year and the size of my bonus.
However, my colleague Tay Hong Yi spoke to some experts and industry players on what a bonus actually means, and his findings bring me some comfort. He learned that companies take into account other factors too such as the state of the economy when deciding on bonuses, and if you did not get one this year, it may not mean you should panic (or quit), just yet.
And as the year begins, you may be thinking about how to optimise for your future - investing might be one way. My colleague, Lee Su Shyan compiles some top tips from experts on how to maximise your investment portfolio.
What kind of value do you place on bonuses, and do you think a poor bonus will drive you to leave your job? Tell me more at headstart@sph.com.sg and also let me know if you have any thoughts on the new look of this newsletter.
I hope you enjoy the stories we picked out this week.
Lazada layoffs: What rights do workers have when companies retrench?
Layoffs are in the spotlight again after e-commerce giant Lazada reportedly retrenched workers from Jan 3 to 5.
Side hustles are proper jobs for students, and can mean much more
Regardless of how successful such ventures may be, the lessons learnt are invaluable.
Logistics firms chasing Singapore talent raise the bar on jobs, working conditions
The sector is the most likely to give larger average bonuses of at least a month’s salary.
Crypto job postings drop nearly 60% in December despite recent Bitcoin rally
For much of 2023, layoffs in the crypto world abounded, with companies like Gemini Trust and Binance US shedding staff.
Why ‘schedule send’ may not be the perfect fix for out-of-hours work
Why Internet slang is a riddle for bosses
Being out of touch about new words can pose problems in the workplace.
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