SINGAPORE: An intern has sought advice on social media after their boss at a medical clinic reportedly instructed them to carry out “physical labour” tasks.
In their post, the intern explained that the clinic recently moved premises about a week ago, and since the relocation, they have been assigned a range of manual duties. These include packing items, lifting and moving boxes, and helping to set up the new workspace.
They also said they have been told to carry out more extensive work in the coming shifts, including washing down walls, removing carpet, and completing a full repaint of the new office space.
According to the intern, this was a far cry from what the clinic had originally promised in its brochure.
“The brochure offered experience for students to shadow, learn admin work, and gain other client-facing skills. However, in the last week, the clinic has moved locations, so every one of my shifts has just been physical labour,” they wrote, adding that they started the “unpaid” internship a month ago.
Frustrated, the intern wrote, “I’m not a contractor, and this is not a manual labour internship! And I’m not even getting paid. Is this allowed? Is my internship taking advantage of me? Are they legally allowed to fire me if I refuse?
In a later update, the intern explained why they took on an unpaid role in Singapore.
“The reason it is unpaid is that I’m on a student pass. I’m not legally allowed to make money or work any form of job, so this is kind of my only choice in terms of experience to be a competitive master’s applicant.”
“Sorry to say this, but don’t give your time up for nothing.”
In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor strongly encouraged the intern to report this issue, saying, “When the company applied for interns to your school, they need to submit their expectations of what the intern would do and how the company can help the intern to grow.”
“It is best to go back to your school organiser to get this fixed. Definitely sounds like they exploited you. Even paid jobs have a better-defined scope.”
Another commenter advised the intern not to simply walk away without gaining something concrete from the experience.
“Sorry to say this, but don’t give your time up for nothing. Since you’re already in it, stay till you get three months of experience and then leave. Time is the only currency that matters, and trading for nothing is too much.”
A third added, “It really depends on the nature of your internship. If it’s self-sourced and not applied through school (which is not recommended unless the company is trustworthy), then just leave.”
A fourth user asked, “Who says a student pass can’t work for paid jobs?”
The post author responded, “The law, unfortunately. Trust me, I’ve looked into it. Only eligible schools can.”
According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), foreign students may work during the school term if they hold a Student’s Pass issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), are at least 14 years old, and are enrolled in eligible schools listed on its website. They are also limited to a maximum of 16 hours of work per week.
In addition, their work must be formally connected to their studies, such as through an internship or industrial attachment arranged or approved by their university or school.
Read also: Singaporean Redditor questions locals’ edge over foreign talent: ‘Are we really worth 3x-5x pay?’
This article (‘Is this allowed?’: Unpaid intern says role meant for learning turned into manual labour) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.
