SINGAPORE: In a surprising turn of events, a Singaporean employee expressed disbelief when her friend lamented over receiving a 17% salary increase and a bonus of three months' pay, saying, "it's a bad year." She took to the Reddit forum r/askSingapore on January 4, seeking to understand why such seemingly generous rewards were met with disappointment.

This is not an isolated incident; the worker noted that this trend of dissatisfaction is prevalent even in her own banking sector workplace, where salary increments usually range between 5% and 7%, and bonuses amount to 1 to 1.2 months. She remarked, "It's become a common narrative. Each year, I expect that after years of work experience, people would have a clearer idea of what constitutes a fair raise and bonus, yet they still express disappointment."

Her post sparked a lively discussion, probing the reasons behind the general discontent among workers in Singapore regarding their compensation. "Why do so many people struggle to set realistic expectations?" she questioned, encouraging others to share their perspectives on what constitutes a 'bad' or 'good' year in terms of pay raises and bonuses.

Interestingly, many respondents pointed out that workplace comparisons often fuel dissatisfaction. One Redditor remarked, "People are unhappy because they always look at others who seem to be doing better. When comparison becomes a habit, any achievement feels inadequate."

When discussing what a typical bonus should be, the consensus varied, with some saying a 3-5% annual increment is standard unless someone receives a significant promotion. However, another commenter highlighted that expectations differ based on industry and individual performance. They explained, "A top performer might view a 12-month bonus as low if their previous year's bonuses were significantly higher."

Navigating the rising cost of living in Singapore has also been a recurring theme in conversations. Many users mentioned they felt satisfied as long as their raises and bonuses aligned with inflation. One user succinctly stated, "Any increase that beats inflation is good."

In related developments, a fresh graduate took to social media to share the pressures of his first full-time job at one of the Big Four accounting firms, revealing it has begun negatively impacting his mental health. He described long working hours, often extending to 1 or 2 AM, and reflected on the demanding nature of the accounting profession during the year-end period.

As the dialogue on salary expectations and workplace satisfaction continues, it seems that even in a thriving economy like Singapore's, the quest for job satisfaction remains complex and multifaceted.

What do you think? Are high salary increases no longer enough? Share your thoughts below!