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Malaysians want pay raise to help cope with GST

If you want to retain your staff in Malaysia, consider giving them a pay raise.

According to a recent survey conducted by JobStreet.com, 98% of 1454 employees surveyed expressed the need for a pay increase of 5% to 50%.

The survey added that this demand could have been fuelled due to the implementation of Goods and Service Tax (GST) in Malaysia in April

90% of the local employees have disclosed that they are unable to cope with their daily expenses.

In fact, 24% of them have already had expenses problems even before GST came into effect.

The survey also found that of the 490 employers polled, 41% of them have encountered increasing demands in staff wages since the GST implementation.

However, only 19% of them have offered increments.

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"The weight of GST has prompted significant changes in the daily routine of these survey respondents. More than half of them at 56%, said they have minimized having lunch with their colleagues, while 47% of them started packing food from home.  Some have also resorted to other frugal activities, such as utilizing the pantries more frequently and carpooling to control their expenses."

Additionally, 63% of respondents divulged the need for a petrol allowance in order to aid in the mitigation of the pinch of the new imposed tax.

Some 35% of respondents are also considering a change in jobs while another 33% are looking into alternatives such as part-time or freelance jobs to help alleviate their financial burdens.

 

jobstreet MY infographic

Image: Shutterstock

 

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