Is your job recession-proof?

Some will say "probably"; others will say "certainly!" If there is a recession in the U.S., Americans will not be setting up new offices in Singapore and those that have an office here may reduce their work force. In other words some American personnel will be laid off and sent home. This is bad news for the FDWs they employ.

But what is bad for the U.S. is also bad for others and maybe expats from other industrialised countries will also affected. And Singaporeans are also not immune; those who work for other expats (and Singaporeans, too) will face the same prospects of losing their job.

During the last recession, fewer jobs were created and so there was less demand for the services of FDWs. I remember in 2002 or 2003 some employers of FDWs from the Philippines began to switch to FDWs from Indonesia and other countries in the region because the salary of a Filipino FDW was (and is) the highest compared with that for those from other ASEAN countries and South Asia. Some families employing two or three FDWs had to let one of them go.

This time around, the effect of a recession in U.S. will be partially offset by the Integrated Resort, the F1 Race and Youth Olympics. But that may not be enough. And the expected benefits from these three coming on stream will take time. So the bad news for FDWs, meanwhile, will likely be the same as in 2002-03.

So what is the FDW to do? You are not totally helpless. During the last recession, some did not keep their job and end up being repatriated but many stayed on. You can help yourself and be among those who stay.

First of all, you must do your work so well that even if your employer's income is reduced, he will not let you go because he feels that no one can do your job, or not as well as you.

Next, if your employer is an expat and has to go home, you should be such a good worker that you will be able to find another job in a short time. What your soon-to-be-repatriated employer writes about you in the job reference is going to make a difference. If he writes glowingly about, you will probably be able to find a new job.

But will he give you a first class reference if you do not do your job well? And if you do your job well enough, but do not have a good rapport with your host family, will your employer write glowingly about you?

Perhaps if you do not have a good rapport with him, he will say basically what is true in a disinterested manner. For example, he might write "Maria is hardworking, honest and reliable." But if he really likes you, he might write: "I have employed 3 FDWs before Maria and none of them is as hardworking as Maria. She is absolutely honest and I never had any reason to doubt her honesty. She is very reliable and has always lived up to our expectations."

If you have not thought about being the best FDW that you can be, now is the time for you to work towards this ideal. It will benefit you not only in a recession, but also when the economy picks up. Then, instead of just retaining your job, you will be so well regarded that chances are your salary will go up.