By Goh Chin Lian

BY MOST accounts, the Government has done almost everything it can to prepare Singapore workers to weather this cycle of recession, short of staving off the recession itself. There is that first line of defence against layoffs, the flexible wage system. Companies trim the variable part of the pay to cut costs, rather than slash jobs.

Then there is a pipeline of tens of thousands of jobs, from foreign investors who have sunk billions of dollars into projects. Plus there is Singapore's more-diversified economy; the cooperative relationship among Government, the labour movement and employers; and the Government's strong fiscal position to pump up the economy and give aid.

As for those who fear losing their jobs, there is a growing array of schemes and schools to help them learn new skills. There is the push to redesign jobs, so that older people can take them up.

There are also grassroots groups with beefed-up financial and job assistance capabilities, tapping into a network of family service centres, self-help groups and voluntary welfare organisations.

These Government-led measures are all important. But are Singaporean workers themselves prepared for a recession?

Some measures will take time for people to adopt. Workers have been often told they need to gear up for job changes.

Some learn a new or niche skill by taking courses at night or on weekends. Some acquire a cabby licence, as a back-up.

So far, 180,000 workers have been trained with Workforce Skills Qualifications. This is just 10 per cent of the local workforce. More can come on board.

Workers have also been told to watch their attitudes towards new jobs in a different industry. In the service line where employers say they will keep hiring, Singaporeans still find the working hours and demanding customers a put-off. Hence, the demand for foreign workers to fill those positions.

Singaporeans have yet to attain a culture of upgrading their skills and adopting positive, can-do attitudes towards new jobs. This will take time to cultivate.

This is why this month, an industry panel called on the Government to send a strong and consistent message to the public that bosses are increasingly looking for people with the right mindset and skills.

And there appears to be less talk or public awareness about the emotional and social aspects of coping with job loss.

The 2001 recession saw retrenched middle managers turning to psychiatrists. The Institute of Mental Health treated 66 people from May to October 2001, up from 38 in the previous six months.

Psychiatrists noted that job loss affected men more badly than women: The number of male patients rose threefold, from fewer than 10 in 2000 to 30 in 2001.

They observed that the men, who were expected to be breadwinners, were afraid that without a job, people - including their children - would not respect them.

As one patient told The Straits Times at the time: 'Juggling my finances is still bearable, but coping with questions and pitying looks from family, friends and neighbours can be very difficult.'

Counsellors say that for such people, their working life is where they achieve success and make decisions, where they are needed and respected by others.

They introduce themselves to others by their occupations, and they and others see them in those terms.

But as the job goes poof, so do these beliefs. As the job search runs into a rut, family and friends react in a number of ways: pity turns to contempt, encouragement turns to embarrassment, and friendship turns to fear that they will be asked to lend money.

The retrenched worker stays home, disheartened, and keeps his burdens to himself. His wife is worried, but cannot help.

While we tend to think of factory workers when we think of retrenchments, job loss hits high-wage workers too.

White-collar professionals may have the most to lose, both in terms of pay and status.

All who have been through such times should share their stories, to encourage others.

One story I found on the Internet tells of a retrenched man's initial impulse to send out many resumes, only to be disappointed by non-responses.

He also wrote about being rejected due to his lack of qualifications and the irony that as an employee he had wished he had more time to be at home, but he now dreaded hanging around the house with too much time on his hands.

Such insights will help family members and friends, as well as the wider community, to better understand those who lost their jobs. At the least, they will become more aware that they too can provide the appropriate support.

Community groups, or the Government, could take a lead in making such stories known.

The South East Community Development Council, for instance, has a website with a career resources section that provides tips on coping with job loss.

The brief write-up can be expanded and made more prominent. There is certainly no lack of practical suggestions from career consultants on how people can cope with losing their jobs.

'Unburden the bad news to your immediate family and those closest to you; they're usually more supportive than you imagined,' goes one, in an online article.

'Specify a certain time per day in which you intensively and only focus on solving your problem,' says another.

Such information could also be conveyed through other media and public advertising campaigns.

The brief write-up can be expanded and made more prominent. There is certainly no lack of practical suggestions from career consultants on how people can cope with losing their jobs.

'Unburden the bad news to your immediate family and those closest to you; they're usually more supportive than you imagined,' goes one, in an online article.

'Specify a certain time per day in which you intensively and only focus on solving your problem,' says another.

Such information could also be conveyed through other media and public advertising campaigns.

The stories and tips will be helpful especially for younger Singaporean workers going through their first big recession.

They themselves could seek out older people who have been in the same shoes.

One way to encourage this is to form support groups. In the 2001 recession, North East CDC formed such groups for laid-off residents, their families and those who worry about losing their jobs.

Run by social workers from family service centres, the groups let people share their woes, hear about other people's struggles and get financial planning tips.

Knowing how to cope with job losses is one aspect of preparing for a downturn that should not be neglected.

This article was first published in The Straits Times on October 17, 2008.