Jobseeker need not give last-drawn salary

EMPLOYERS CAN'T FORCE JOB SEEKERS TO GIVE LAST-DRAWN SALARY

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) asked how common it was for employers and recruiters to ask job seekers to declare their last-drawn salary, or to share previous payslips.

Are there any studies on how this might affect people's employability and their salary, he asked, and should this practice be stopped, so job applicants can move up the wage scale?

Mrs Teo, a former director of human resources at the National Trades Union Congress, said there is no rule requiring job seekers to comply with requests to declare their last-drawn salary, nor can employers insist on it.

She added: "The last-drawn salary is a relevant input to employers seeking to gauge a candidate's seniority or to make an appropriate job offer. However, if employers use last-drawn salary to screen applicants, they risk losing out on good candidates who are prepared to adjust their salary expectations, especially in today's context.

"It is similarly unwise for employers to overlook the longer track record of the applicant, and make an offer based solely on the last-drawn salary, especially if the last-held position was an interim one. If a job seeker chooses to provide salary information, employers should use it carefully."

Mr Saktiandi said he knows of fresh graduates who are wary of taking up jobs that pay below the median salary "for fear that their salaries will always be pegged to it. They would rather wait it out... if they can rely on their parents, leading to months of post-graduation unemployment".

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