A recent poll by The Filipino Times has indicated that there could be a narrow gap between Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the UAE who prefer a high-paying job that they however are not happy doing, and a low-paying one that they actually enjoy.
Fifty-nine percent of the survey respondents said they would rather take on work that they are not content with so long as it is financially rewarding for the simple reason that they went abroad precisely because they wanted to run away from low-paying jobs back home.
Forty-one percent said they’d go for a job that they love doing despite the low pay because there is passion and perfection involved that could in turn lead to promotion and career growth.
The survey, done online through The Filipino Times poll segment, “Tanong ng Bayan,” and random man-on-the-street interviews through printed questionnaire covered close to a thousand respondents across the UAE.
Financial stability
Robie Torre-Gonzales, current president of the Filipino Human Resource Practitioners (Fil-HR), said such inclination for a high-paying job is not really surprising.
“If you are an OFW, you look after the financial stability of the family,” she explained. “Wala kasi sila sa ating bansa. Their purpose here is different.”
Roy Lance Japor of The United Filipino Human Resource Professionals (TUFHR), agreed.
Japor said OFWs would go for high-paying job even if they are not happy with what they do. This, he explained, is because of their attachment to family.
“Mas malaking sahod kahit hindi masaya dahil matiisin ang Pinoy para sa pamilya. Sabi nga, “We’re all here to work for money and for our families back home.” Kayang tiisin ng Pinoy ang hirap basta mas makakaluwag at gagawa na lamang ng paraan pagkatapos ng trabaho para aliwin ang sarili sa ibang paraan,” he said.
Japor said exit interviews he has done showed that people move to other companies because of higher salary offer but later on regret the decision. “They come back after a year or two because they are much happier at where they were before,” he said.
Happiness is family
Some 80 percent of those who would prefer a high-paying job despite having reservations about it said they were considering family in their preference.
Orlando Bagro, elevator maintenance crew, said he’d prefer a high-paying job because his family in the Philippines depend in him for their financial needs.
“Importante din sa akin ang maka-ipon para makapag-umpisa ako kahit ng maliit na negosyo,” Bagro said.
Marvin Co, sales executive, likewise said it is important for him to have a high-paying job to secure his family’s future. “Tatlo na ang anak ko at nag-aaral na sila. Ayoko din naman na magstay pa ng matagal dito. So, mas malaki ang sahod mo mas malaki ang chance na maka-ipon ka at makauwi agad,” he said.
Likewise it is Franz Kevin Saraspi, a barista, who said: “Ako ang inaasahan sa panggastos sa pagkain araw araw ng pamilya ko sa Pilipinas, kaya importante ang mataas na sahod.”
Meantime, some 75 percent said they’d go for higher salary because that precisely was the reason they went abroad.
Claudine Joy, accounts assistant, said she’d choose a high-paying job even if she is not happy with it “kasi kaya ako nag-abroad para kumita ng malaki.”
The same thing with Alliver Revilla, also a sales executive said, who said: “Importante ang sahod. Nag-abroad ako kasi better ang buhay dito pati na ang sahod,” he said.
Elmar Espiritu Andales, one of the netizens who commented, said that in a high-paying job that does not make you happy, you will only have to endure it for eight hours.
The rest of the day, he said, you can spoil yourself. “Kapag maliit ang sahod ‘di ka din masaya kasi maliit ang naiipon mo,” he said.
Flipside of it
On the other end of the straw poll are OFWs who said it doesn’t matter if the pay is not as good, so long as they are happy at work.
High-paying jobs, they said, are usually demanding, stressful and take a lot of one’s time such that it becomes a challenge to main a heathy work-life balance.
“Doon ako sa masaya kahit mababa ang sahod, kasi malaking bagay para sa ating kalusugan ang healthy work environment,” said netizen MharLex Umali Bautista.
Netizen Nylanna Seyer added: “Aanhin mo ang malaking sahod kung sobrang toxic ang trabaho mo. Ang sahod mo sa hospital lang din mapupunta dahil sobrang stressed ka.”
OFW Cezz Gatchalian Urbino, for her part, said she used to have a high-paying but demanding job, and it was not a very pleasant experience.
“I have tried it, mataas nga ang naging sahod ko pero halos wala naman akong tulog,” she said.
Rodenne Posadas, Fil-HR associate and team leader at a regional air freight company in the UAE, said six factors converge to make a happy employee: company stability; a good boss; good work environment; good salary and on-time pay; good benefits in terms of insurance, leaves, annual ticket and bonus; and corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects.
“Based on my experience, money was only a portion of my joy. It was only on pay day. As soon as I have allocated my finances, I then put my attention to the other factors at work. Therefore, money only contributed less than a day in my entire month to say that I am happy with my work,” Posadas said.
Words of wisdom from 50-year-old Michelle Santos: “Mas pipiliiin ko na magkaroon ng work kung saan magiging masaya ako kahit mababa ang sahod. Kasi kapag masaya ka sa trabaho mo, malaki ang chance na pagbutihin mo ang quality ng work mo. Kapag ganoon ang ginawa mo, mas mataas ang chance na ma-promote ka at mag-grow…at tataas ang sahod mo.”
(By Jamille Domingo and Jojo Dass)
