SINGAPORE: As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on worldwide, a new digital normal seems to be emerging from the disruption to regular routines and behaviours. People are working remotely, and attending classes and religious services online.

Even annual mass sporting events are adapting to this new normal. People are organising their own virtual runs, where runners download an app, decide on when and where exactly to run (including on treadmills), and the app will record the distance and speed of each participating runner. 

If anything, this crisis underscores how adaptive human beings are. Individuals and businesses alike are embracing digital transformation and adopting innovative approaches in response to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous situation.

READ: Commentary: Five considerations for a clear-minded coronavirus response

READ: Commentary: The heavy lifting needed to get Singapore through the COVID-19 slump

ONLINE GROCERY SHOPPING

COVID-19 has similarly revealed the potential – and the limits – of Singapore’s online shopping sector.

The outlook for Singapore’s retail industry was bleak even before the coronavirus crisis went into high gear. Singapore’s retail sales dropped by 5.3 per cent year-on-year in January 2020, the 12th straight month of fall.

But it’s a different story for Singapore’s grocery market, which is expected to be worth S$9.9 billion by 2023, up 14.5 per cent from 2018, according to research firm IGD Asia. 

Online grocery shopping is the fastest-growing slice of the pie, with Alibaba-backed RedMart dominating the scene and NTUC FairPrice continuing to invest in online platforms.

Traditional, smaller players are also eyeing the online grocery scene. Many traditional small wet market grocers have taken to online channels to hawk products, conduct online auctions and even to carry out customer relation-building, for example, passing tips on how to prepare dishes using their products.

READ: Commentary: Give workers permission to disrupt – one way Singapore businesses can accelerate digital transformation

COVID-19 may accelerate the growth of Singapore’s online grocery sector. When the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level was raised to Orange, Singaporeans did not just flock to physical supermarkets, but also loaded virtual carts with groceries from online platforms.

RedMart’s weekly average number of orders tripled, while FairPrice said that demand for online orders exceeded that during the Lunar New Year period.

With government directives to allow workers to work-from-home and to avoid non-essential trips to shopping malls, this trend of online shopping among Singaporeans is likely to persist. After authorities encouraged Singaporeans to purchase food and groceries online, Amazon Prime, FairPrice and Redmart have been swamped with orders, preventing them from providing enough delivery slots for online purchases.

READ: Commentary: Singaporeans queued for toilet paper and instant noodles – there is no shame in that

READ: Delivery slots run dry as more turn to online grocery shopping amid COVID-19 concerns

OVERCOMING CAPACITY LIMITS

Even as early digitalisation investments are paying off, the current inability to fulfil delivery of online purchases suggests digitalisation effort by these businesses have only been focused at the customer-facing end.

While this is a good start, resourceful and more ambitious businesses should also look to leveraging digital technologies to transform their business and enhance supply chains to meet surges in demand.

One suggestion is for supermarket chains to integrate their online shopping platforms with the stock-holding information of their physical branches.

READ: Commentary: The COVID-19 pandemic will accelerate a shift to digital payments

READ: Commentary: In the time of coronavirus, China is revolutionising deliveries and e-commerce

This will enable them to avoid loss-of-sale scenarios where stocks of particular products have run out on the online shopping platform, but excess stocks may reside in specific physical branches. They can then offer customers the option of picking up their purchases at physical branches, especially during times of insufficient delivery slots.

Another possibility is for online shopping platforms to partner with businesses that specialise in delivery fulfilment such as Deliveroo, GoGoVan, Grab and Ninja Van. Already, the Government has allowed taxi and private-hire car drivers to make grocery and food deliveries, given how these drivers are struggling with reduced passenger demand.

LUXURY GOODS

The coronavirus has cast a bigger shadow over luxury and durable goods, like clothing and furniture, compared to daily necessities. A recent study by Italian trade association for luxury brands Altagamma, in association with Boston Consulting Group, predicted that the global luxury sales could scale down by US$33 to US$44 billion.

Despite the difficulties, leading luxury groups have responded quickly to the crisis through innovative cause marketing approaches and digitalisation.

READ: Commentary: COVID-19 proving to be a business opportunity for some companies

READ: Commentary: In the time of COVID-19, China is revolutionising deliveries and e-commerce

LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Givenchy and Marc Jacobs, has directed perfume and make-up facilities to produce hydroalcoholic gel, used in hand sanitisers, for donation to fight the contagion.

Other companies, including Kering (which owns Balenciaga and Saint Laurent) and Coty (the parent company of Gucci and Burberry), have also joined the initiative to make healthcare necessities.

These moves not only address societal needs and expectations in the near-term, but will also contribute to their brand development in the long-term.

LISTEN: COVID-19 and safe distancing – why this can save lives

READ: Commentary: COVID-19 – time for businesses and workers to have the guts to embrace the new normal

Some luxury retailers have even managed to multiply their profits from embracing digitalisation in a time of COVID-19. Valentine’s Day is a lucrative day for many retailers globally, but China was in a national lockdown, with retail shops shut.

Instead of gaping at their potential losses, the quick-thinking executives at Louis Vuitton launched an exclusive Valentine’s Day online pop-up store via WeChat, where customers were able to seek pre-sale and post-sale consultation and place orders online. As a result, Louis Vuitton doubled its Valentine’s Day online revenue from a year ago.

Intime Shopping Centre in Hangzhou, China offers another prime example. Shop assistants at the shopping centre were turned into livestreaming vloggers to promote their products.

Within a 3-hour livestreaming session, the number of customers that a vlogger engaged was equivalent to the customer traffic flow in half a year. The total sales revenue for a 3-hour livestreaming session was comparable to that of one full week.

READ: Commentary: Despite the huge e-commerce challenge, the Singapore mall is fighting back

These demonstrate that through digitalisation, innovation and agility, businesses need not come to a complete standstill in the face of an otherwise debilitating COVID-19 lockdown. 

WILL THE NEW NORMAL PERSIST?

A recent survey by Kantar in China revealed that 65 per cent of consumers were looking forward to eating out with friends and family most after lockdown, with shopping a close second at 58 per cent. It looks like most consumers will likely return to their consumption habits once the pandemic is brought under control.

But it will be difficult to close Pandora’s Box once it has been opened. Even when most consumers may return to old habits, those who have found value and satisfaction with their online experience may persist with their online consumption.

There is also a good chance for the emergence of a “newer normal” where consumption habits become dualistic, where consumers continue to buy online even as they return to their old habits of tactile consumption. The choice between the two will likely be down to which can offer better value.

LISTEN: Goodbye brick-and-mortar, hello online shopping?

READ: Commentary: The future of Singapore e-commerce is in brick and mortar

Moreover, the newer normal may not even be choosing between the two but an integration of both channels.

For example, a consumer may decide to visit a physical store after viewing a product promotion over a livestreaming session on social media. After trying out the product at the physical store, he may then compare prices and product reviews online before making an online purchase and having the product delivered to his home.

Business that have undergone digital transformation can have the capability to collect data along the consumer decision journey, strategically design their online content and offline experience to optimise the customer’s value across various touchpoints. 

PREPARING FOR A NEWER NORMAL

Understandably, it can be tempting for businesses to go into cost containment mode given the gloomy economic outlook.

READ: Commentary: Singapore has a New Deal. We call it the Resilience Budget

However, there is now a unique opportunity, in the form of the pro-business packages presented in the initial 2020 Unity Budget and the Resilience Budget. The former, for instance, sets aside S$8.3 billion to help companies scale up by strengthening business ties and improving capabilities.

Businesses can draw on such schemes to embark on digital transformation and adopt innovative approaches. These can help them level up and deliver better value to their customers in a new digital normal.

The Unity Budget too will not only help businesses tide through an economic downturn triggered by COVID-19, but will also prepare them to be more agile in facing an increasingly digital world.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Chong Guan is Associate Professor and Head of the Marketing Programme at the School of Business, Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS); and Calvin Chan is Associate Professor and Director of Office of Graduate Studies, SUSS.

SINGAPORE: Gazetting two dormitories as isolation areas is an “enormous undertaking”, but the authorities are working hard to ensure the well-being of affected workers, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a media release on Monday (Apr 6).

This comes a day after the S11 Dormitory @ Punggol and Westlite Toh Guan Dormitory were gazetted as isolation areas following a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases at the two dormitories.

The move will see 19,800 workers across the two dormitories placed under quarantine, meaning they will have to stay in their rooms for the next 14 days.

READ: COVID-19: Nearly 20,000 foreign workers in quarantine in S11 Dormitory, Westlite Toh Guan

Following the announcement, photos and videos circulating online appeared to show crowded and unsanitary conditions at the S11 Dormitory, and an ambulance and medical personnel at Westlite Toh Guan.

In its media release on Monday, MOM acknowledged there had been “challenges at the start”, but said its officers have been “working round-the-clock” with the dormitory operators and partners to prioritise the well-being of their residents.

“We appreciate the workers’ patience and cooperation, and will continue to improve the conditions for the residents of the dormitories,” said the ministry.

The gazetting of the dormitories was a “major decision” taken to protect the health and safety or workers, as well as the community, added MOM.

The decision builds on measures that had been progressively implemented at foreign worker dormitories throughout Singapore since the start of the novel coronavirus outbreak, such as closing amenities such as gyms and libraries, preventing intermingling between blocks and staggering meal times.

CATERED MEALS, CLEANING STEPPED UP

The authorities have been working to ensure workers in the dormitories have enough food and that premises are kept clean, said MOM.

Previously, residents were able to cook their own meals. However in order to minimise the risk of transmission via gatherings at the common kitchens, MOM said it has engaged caterers to deliver three meals a day for workers.

“We experienced teething problems with the portions, suitability and distribution,” said the ministry, but added that the issues have been “progressively resolved”.

To date, the caterers have delivered more than 65,000 portions of food and snacks, according to MOM.

Dormitory operators have also stepped cleaning efforts and deployed more cleaners to cope with the increased use of bathroom facilities and higher volumes of rubbish generated.

“At the same time, we have worked with the operators to encourage workers to play their part to keep the common areas clean,” said MOM. 

The operators will also ensure that rooms and common areas are disinfected and that rubbish is disposed of regularly.

“MOM will continue to keep a close eye on the dormitory conditions and will intervene where necessary to ensure standards are upheld,” said the ministry. “Our officers will also act on feedback provided by dormitory residents on possible areas of improvement.”

SHOULD STANDARDS BE RAISED?

The move to gazette the two dormitories as isolation areas has also brought the issue of foreign worker living conditions into the spotlight.

In a Facebook post on Monday morning, Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh said Singapore should re-examine the way it treats “our indispensable foreign workers”.

Posting a photo of a Straits Times article reporting on cramped and crowded living conditions at S11 Dormitory, Prof Koh likened such dormitories to “a time bomb waiting to explode”.

“The way Singapore treats its foreign workers is not first world but third world,” he said. “The Government has allowed their employers to transport them in flat bed trucks with no seats.”

“They stay in overcrowded dormitories and are packed likes sardines with 12 persons to a room. The dormitories are not clean or sanitary.”

Should standards in foreign worker dormitories be raised?

“There’s no question in my mind, answer is ‘yes’,” said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo in a Facebook post on Monday night.

There are currently about 200,000 foreign workers in Singapore living in purpose-built dormitories like S11 Dormitory and Westlite Toh Guan, said the minister.

However before these dormitories were built, many had lived in “very poor and unhygienic conditions”, often at the very sites where they worked which were unregulated, she said.

“This is why a decision was taken to build the current dormitories – to raise standards and take care of the workers well-being,” she said, adding that there are 43 such dormitories in Singapore.

These are licensed under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act and have to comply with minimum standards of cleanliness, water supply and hygiene.

“Each time we attempt to raise standards, employers yelp – these are added costs which they must eventually pass on,” said Mrs Teo. “They ask MOM, ‘are people prepared to pay more?’ These workers are after all, involved in delivering important services for Singaporeans including construction.”

Mrs Teo said she hoped the latest incident highlighted the importance of high standards at worker dormitories.

“I hope the COVID-19 episode demonstrates to the employers and wider public that raising standards at worker dormitories is not only the right thing to do, but also in our own interests,” she said. “We should be willing to accept the higher costs that come with higher standards.”

READ: Singapore sees record daily spike of 120 COVID-19 cases, ‘significant number’ linked to worker dormitories

As of Sunday, Westlite Toh Guan has seen 28 COVID-19 cases and 6,800 workers under quarantine, while S11 Dormitory has recorded 62 COVID-19 cases and 13,000 workers under quarantine. 

Singapore saw a record spike in the number of COVID-19 patients on Sunday with 120 new cases reported. 

A total of 1,309 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of Sunday. Six people have died from the disease in the country.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will suspend Basic Military Training (BMT) from Apr 7 to May 4, in line with the nationwide COVID-19 safe distancing measures.   

“With the increase in transmission of local cases, the SAF reviewed the impact of suspension and concluded that there would be little impact on operations as active units would be able to provide cover,” said the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) on Monday (Apr 6).

“The recruits would be able to complete their BMT after the COVID-19 outbreak has subsided.”

During the period of training suspension, recruits will continue to be eligible for national service allowance and medical benefits, said MINDEF, adding that their operationally ready date will not be affected. 

READ: COVID-19: A recruit’s first day at SAF BMTC on Pulau Tekong – without parents’ send-off

A total of 3,400 full-time national servicemen recruits will have to strictly observe the national guidelines of the “circuit breaker” period – to stay at home as much as possible and to only go out for essential activities.

They will be provided with home-based instructional material on basic skills and fitness development, said MINDEF.

“Other SAF training schools which are needed to maintain SAF’s operational readiness, such as Officer Cadet School and Specialist Cadet School, will continue with the enhanced safety measures previously announced,” the ministry added.

The SAF had already deferred all in-camp training and individual physical proficiency tests (IPPT) for operationally ready national servicemen last week, after the Government announced sweeping new measures to curb the outbreak of COVID-19 in Singapore. 

Measures include closing schools and most workplaces, as well as disallowing dining in at food establishments.

READ: COVID-19: Singapore makes ‘decisive move’ to close most workplaces and impose full home-based learning for schools, says PM Lee 

TRAINING SUSPENDED FOR FULL-TIME SPF AND SCDF NSF TRAINEES

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also announced on Monday that it will suspend training for all full-time national servicemen (NSF) trainees – about 1,600 of them – from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Like the SAF recruits, the suspension period will count towards their full-time national service and their operationally ready date will not be affected. They will also continue to be eligible for NS allowance and medical benefits. 

“SPF and SCDF will manage any operational impact arising from the suspension of basic training,” said MHA.

Other training activities for NSFs, such as the officer cadet training for SPF and SCDF trainees will continue with enhanced precautionary measures.

“Such training is essential to enable the Home Team to continue its day-to-day responsibilities of keeping Singapore safe and secure,” said the ministry. 

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

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SINGAPORE: My family has been planning a party for my almost two-year old daughter, Lily.

Sadly, with the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, my husband uninvited all his friends to the party two weeks ago. Yesterday, he uninvited his own mother.

Like a bad breakup, these un-invites were impersonally conveyed over the phone or WhatsApp. After my husband delivered the message to his mother, there was a long pause on the other end of the line during which you could almost hear her face fall. Then she quietly replied: “Ok. If that’s what you want.”

THE HUMAN IMPACT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING

Such disengagement efforts are about to increase as on Friday (Apr 3) Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced stepped up measures with effect from Apr 7 to get people to stay at home more and to minimise social engagements.

Already, over the past few weeks, many Singaporeans have cancelled birthdays, weddings and engagement parties. Couples exchange vows in quiet ceremonies like forbidden lovers about to elope.

New born babies are delivered into silent wards. Since only one visitor is allowed into hospitals at any one time, there are no longer boisterous “viewing parties” or over-doting grandparents fussing over their every yawn.

Even much-cherished coming-of-age rituals such as National Service enlistments have been disrupted. While parents could previously join their sons for a tour of their camp at the Basic Military Training Centre in Pulau Tekong, and enjoy a farewell meal, now they have to make do with quick goodbyes at designated drop-off points.

READ: Commentary: Coronavirus isolation a rare chance to catch up on sleep

LISTEN: COVID-19 and safe distancing – why this can save lives

Inter-generation bonding has also been interrupted, perhaps at a time when seniors need family support the most. In response to a COVID-19 cluster at the Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, visitors are no longer allowed at all nursing homes.

This took effect on Thursday (Apr 2) and will last until the end of the month.

Among the many things that COVID-19 has upended, it has changed the way we express and experience love. When each person and family becomes a possible “transmission unit”, celebrations, communal rituals and gatherings increasingly seem like a careless way of putting those you love most at risk.

Instead of celebrating milestones with the people we love, today, it almost seems like the best thing we can do for loved ones is to simply cancel all meet-ups.   

When we do meet, we cautiously tiptoe around one another, parking ourselves on carefully marked out boxes like expensive cars we are too afraid to scratch. When we date, we connect with more emojis than actual hugs and kisses

The pandemic has even changed how we interact with our closest family members. 

READ: Commentary: The heavy lifting needed to get Singapore through the COVID-19 slump

READ: Commentary: How to stay sane in a time of COVID-19 information overload

Having suffered from sinus since I was a child, I have never been more conscious of my blocked nose. Some days, on the off chance that I might be ill, I find myself increasingly reluctant to get close to family members. Despite our “in sickness and health” vows, illness during a pandemic is a solitary experience, and some aspects of intimate relationships will have to be sacrificed for the greater good.

The challenge today is how to maintain physical distance without compromising social connection and emotional closeness.

A DEEPER WAY TO CONNECT WITH TECHNOLOGY

Interestingly, for the first time in many years, technology is no longer painted as a poor imitator of, and powerful distraction from, “real life”. As we read about tearful video farewells between families and COVID-19 victims in Italy, technology has never felt more vital and pertinent.

Here in Singapore, thanks to well-placed measures, we have not seen so many fatalities. That said, many elderly I know are also embracing technology like never before. At the age of 73, my mother-in-law has learnt how to make WhatsApp video calls with my daughter Lily.

And now that we can no longer celebrate Lily’s birthday with her, we have promised to do it over a video call.

Technology has not only helped to bridge physical distances, and disruptions in our social relationships; it also feels more personal and intimate than before.

Today, my social media feed is no longer saturated with heavily edited images of aspirational hotels, digitally enhanced sunsets, beautifully plated omakase meals, product flat lays and airbrushed outfits-of-the-day shots (#OOTDs).

Instead, more people I know are posting warm and sometimes hilarious family videos in home-wear, as well as intimate pictures of home cooked dinners and family recipes. Instead of generic one-line captions, more are penning heartfelt and emotionally vulnerable posts, and these are opening up new conversations, even if they simply begin with “How are you?”

READ: Commentary: Restrictions on movements in some Southeast Asian countries to fight COVID-19 have been patchy, even scary

Perhaps a positive offshoot of this pandemic is that we are no longer seeing mobile devices as a great chasm of lost time, but simply as a medium for greater connectivity. After all, whatever platform we choose to communicate with, it is the intention, emotion and affection behind each message that really matters.

Speaking of connection, amidst the isolating pandemic, my secondary school classmates have also suddenly reunited on WhatsApp. What started as a single message from one enthusiastic guy grew into a chat group of 28 people almost overnight. This well-populated chat group beeps incessantly now with memes and words of encouragement.

It may seem odd that after being separated for more than two decades, 28 people would initiate a virtual secondary school reunion in the thick of a global pandemic. 

In fact, these virtual communities are sprouting out everywhere, among cell group members, colleagues and yoga enthusiasts. As religious institutes, fitness studios and even children’s pools shut down, these virtual meeting spaces have risen to fill the void.

RICHER EMOTIONAL BONDING

We are also finding new ways to reach across the gulf and make a meaningful connection. Just yesterday, two of my friends – one based in Singapore and the other, Hong Kong – arranged to take the same online yoga class at the same time.

READ: Commentary: How to tell your stubborn, older relative to adopt social distancing

Post-yoga, they shared a similar screen grab of the instructor Patrick Creelman’s cat giving him the side eye via our three-way group chat. This little moment bonded them in a shared experience.

Perhaps in times of social distancing, isolation and quarantine, these virtual support groups will give us the emotional and physical resilience to weather the great emotional and economic stress. And perhaps when faced with mortality and mass anxiety, milestones and celebrations feel all the more precious.

Indeed, it is comforting to know that around the world, people are still celebrating and sharing the arrival of a new born baby. In Singapore for example, the media reported that an elderly couple Tom Iljas, 81, and Liong May Swan, 78 – in a relationship for a decade – committed themselves to each other in a clinic in Alexandra Hospital on Mar 28 in the face of an uncertain future.

And perhaps that is precisely the point of these celebrations – that despite the uncertainty of the future, these represent our hope that we will indeed come out on the other side of the pandemic. 

And when we do, we will have newfound appreciation for our important support groups, and continue to make important emotional investments in them.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Annie Tan is a freelance writer.

SINGAPORE: In February, final-year undergraduate Bianca Chua thought she was all set for the working world after starting her internship as a headhunter at a human resource (HR) firm.

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) business major secured the internship in December, and she had been told verbally and over email that she would be automatically converted to a full-timer when she graduated in May. At that time, the 23-year-old was over the moon at securing a full-time job before most of her peers did.

“Everything went fine” for about a month after her internship began, she said. Then, things went pear-shaped quickly.

The COVID-19 outbreak, which originated in China and had rattled Singapore since January, has morphed into a full-blown pandemic.

The coronavirus can lead to severe respiratory problems and even death. As it spreads its tentacles all over the world, leading to hundreds of thousands of cases, travel restrictions turned into border closures.

In just a few months, the interdependent global economy has taken a pummelling.

With Singapore expected to go into a full-year recession, companies began to announce pay cuts and hiring freezes. Some, like Ms Chua’s company, even began to lay off workers.

On Mar 26, the firm told Ms Chua that it would be laying off “half the team”, including herself and several full-timers. She was told to pack her things and leave on the day itself.

“It feels bad … suddenly my whole plan was derailed,” she said.

If Ms Chua is among those who have the misfortune of graduating amid a looming recession, the millennials who are working in industries which have been battered by Covid-19 are faring no better.

READ: Singapore residents returning from ASEAN countries, France, India and Switzerland must self-isolate at hotels

READ: Mustafa Centre to close for at least two weeks; will undergo disinfection

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) air stewardess, who wanted to be known only as Ingrid, was last rostered on a flight in mid-March. Since SIA announced on Mar 23 that it would be cutting 96 per cent of capacity due to vanishing demand, she has been grounded, earning little more than S$1,000 a month in basic pay, about one-fifth of her usual salary.

Ingrid then reached out to her aunt, who works at a hawker stall selling Muslim food, but was told that there were no vacancies.

“Before this I went out on all my days off and would sit with my friends over brunch at overpriced cafes, but I can’t afford to do that now,” said the 25-year-old, who is currently cooped up at home scrolling through job-hiring sites.

READ: COVID-19: Singapore Airlines to provide 300 ‘care ambassadors’ to fill manpower gap at hospitals

READ: Commentary: Bitter truths for Singapore Airlines about this aviation industry crash

Then there is Mr Dave Lim, a freelance photographer and videographer, who frequently does events photography. Since Covid-19 has virtually wiped out large-scale corporate events across the island, he has seen his earnings fall by 50 per cent.

The 26-year-old said that he is attempting to switch to filming advertisements, which remains in demand. However, he is finding this a challenge, as he is not as well-established in the advertising scene and has difficulty finding clients. 

Like Ms Chua, Ingrid and Mr Lim, the majority of those in their early 20s to mid-30s — commonly referred to as millennials — are facing a crisis of global proportions for the first time in their adult lives. And as far as crises go, they do not come much bigger than what the world is currently experiencing.

With millennials often dismissed as the “strawberry generation” — easily “bruised” when faced with societal pressures or made to do some heavy lifting — will they be able to handle a crisis that has been dubbed as a “once-in-a-generation occurrence”, and one that could turn out to be the worst global upheaval since the Great Depression in the 1930s?

Among the more than a dozen millennials, ranging from soon-to-be university graduates to workers in their mid-30s with families to feed, those who have lost jobs or business revenues in the past few weeks said the old adage of “saving for a rainy day” has acquired a new importance for them.

While some used to lead lavish lifestyles which included frequent shopping and dining at higher-end establishments, they have since stopped all unnecessary spending and started to save money for the tough times ahead.

They have largely stayed at home (also partly due to social-distancing measures), go out less with friends, and will not be making any overseas trips anytime soon, especially with travel options almost non-existent. Instead, they have been cooped up indoors searching for jobs, or attending courses to learn new skills.

READ: Commentary: Don’t waste Budget money. Here’s how to stretch your SkillsFuture dollars

READ: COVID-19: Safety measures in place for reusable mask distribution from Apr 5

Due to changing attitudes and the pervasiveness of the gig economy, many of those interviewed said they have no qualms about taking up odd jobs in sectors such as retail and food and beverage, should no other options be available. While these industries might be looked down upon by their older counterparts in higher-ranking jobs, the millennials said they do not mind biting the bullet to ride out the storm.

The younger millennials appear to be in a slightly better position — most are not yet expected to take care of their parents and do not have children of their own. In fact, some said that their parents would help them to stay afloat if there was no other choice. However, most are reluctant to depend on parental support, with one final-year student saying she “cannot fathom the thought” of living off someone else once she graduates.

However, for some older millennials – those who have children and elderly parents to support – there is less of a safety net. 

They said that compared to a decade ago when they faced the 2008/2009 global financial meltdown – triggered by the United States sub-prime mortgage crisis – in their early 20s, they now have greater responsibilities and a lot more to lose if they are not able to save up and earn a living.

READ: Moody’s cuts outlook for Singapore banks on COVID-19 fallout

READ: Commentary: No ordinary disruption – a rising generation meets the coronavirus

HOW ECONOMIC SITUATION DETERIORATED

In February, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) slashed Singapore’s economic growth forecast for 2020 from between 0.5 and 2.5 per cent to between -0.5 and 1.5 per cent. 

At that time, the COVID-19 outbreak was still concentrated in China, with most of the cases occurring there. However, the uncertainty at that time was already enough for MTI to warn of a full-year recession.

On Mar 26, the ministry further downgraded Singapore’s economic growth forecast for the year to between -4 and -1 per cent. By then, the global situation was vastly different than the one in February, with the virus having infected hundreds of thousands across the globe, and at least US$12 trillion wiped off world stock markets.

That same day also saw Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat unveiling a S$48 billion Resilience Budget to help workers, businesses and households. This comes on top of the S$6.4 billion support package unveiled during the Budget in February.

In the financial markets, Wall Street’s Dow Jones and S&P 500 had seen 22 per cent and 20 per cent slumps respectively in the first three months of this year. During the Great Depression, in comparison, the record quarterly drop for Wall Street was 40 per cent.

In Singapore, though there have been no reports of widespread layoffs thus far, a few well-known companies, such as SIA, property developer CapitaLand and transport operator SMRT, have begun to slash wages or freeze the pay of its senior staff.

READ: COVID-19 Resilience Budget: ‘Landmark’ S$48 billion package to tide Singapore through ‘unprecedented’ crisis

READ: National Wages Council suggests management lead by example when cutting pay

With many companies following suit to implement such cost-cutting measures – most of the millenials interviewed said their employers had already taken similar steps – the National Wages Council (NWC) on Mar 30 issued guidelines on how they should cut wages responsibly.

Among other guidelines, NWC recommended management teams of struggling companies to “lead by example” when considering wage cuts, and to keep the salaries of low-wage workers intact.

While many industries are already suffering from the effects of the general downturn in the economy, the aviation sector is among the hardest hit as many countries have imposed travel bans. Singapore, for instance, has barred all short-term visitors from entering or transiting through the country.

OPEN TO ODD JOBS

An air steward with a regional airline, who wanted to be known only as Kevin, has been spending the last three weeks working at a retail store in Orchard Road instead of serving passengers on flights.

Now that Kevin is no longer rostered for flights, his pay has been reduced to about S$1,000 a month in basic salary. He gets about S$350 on top of that each month working three times a week at the store.

He has also been selling cakes which he bakes himself at home, earning him about S$100 a month at most.

All in, he makes less than S$1,500 a month these days – less than half the S$3,500 he used to earn.

While Kevin’s new part-time gigs might seem like a downgrade for many, the 28-year-old is open to doing them.

“I am not afraid that there is a stigma attached to it, as it is still a proper job, and it is something that I enjoy,” he said, referring to his retail job.

Kevin added that young people who are more willing to do odd jobs, like himself, “have an advantage”.

But he added: “Some might be particular about job options as the pay could be 30 to 50 per cent lower than their current income.”

For Ms Alvina Koh, a final-year National University of Singapore (NUS) student, the months leading up to her graduation in May had been a far cry from what she had envisaged.

“My seniors who had already graduated told me (last year) it would be very easy, as long as I send out job applications, employers will get back to me,”  said the 23-year-old political science major.

“Now, it seems like the entire job market is not hiring. When I talk to my friends … They tell me that they applied for jobs but no one has gotten back to them.”

Ms Koh added that the sudden downturn has left her disappointed and anxious. She also feels for her parents, who are “quite concerned” about her job search.

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Agreeing, final-year NUS student Val Alvern Cueco Ligo, 25, said that when COVID-19 began to make its presence felt around the start of the year, many of his peers “took for granted that things would be smooth”, and most did not “expect it to be so bad”.

Having applied for four jobs so far, the communications and new media major has not heard back from any prospective employers, and is bracing himself for the worst.

If Mr Cueco Ligo does not manage to land a job that matches his degree, he is considering working full-time at a restaurant to make ends meet. However, he would eventually want to get another job related to his degree.

Likewise, Ms Koh said that she would settle for odd jobs such as being a private tutor, or working in restaurants. “I can do all of that just to cope with it, even though it may not be the most ideal situation.”

On the stigma that may be attached to lower-paying jobs, Mr Cueco Ligo pointed out that there is growing recognition that workers in these roles provide essential services during a crisis.

“Especially now, people are really facing the fact that a lot of these (lower-income) jobs are very essential … when everything stops (workers in these jobs) are the ones that keep (society) moving.”

THE LUCKY ONES

But not all soon-to-be graduates are facing an uncertain future. Some, who had secured job stints months before the COVID-19 crisis surfaced, are counting their blessings.

Several accountancy majors from NUS, NTU and the Singapore Management University said they had secured full-time employment with the Big Four accounting firms: Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY), KPMG and PwC.

Rachel, an NTU accountancy major who declined to provide her full name, said that many of her friends had secured positions at the Big Four firms since late last year, as the recruitment process had started as early as August last year.

To have secured a job before the recession is something that Rachel said has put her in a “privileged” position. However, she has mentally prepared herself for any bad news, as “now a lot of things are changing”.

Responding to queries, Deloitte, PwC and EY said they have not rescinded any job offers or terminated any internships.

Deloitte said that the firm would be maintaining its staff numbers in Singapore, while PwC said that here, “the recruitment cycles and the number of available positions for those onboarding in 2020 have remained largely the same as previous years”.

EY said it would be continuing with its recruitment efforts here “in a considered and calibrated manner, mindful of the economic circumstances”.

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OUT GOES THE S$10 SALAD BOWL 

The YOLO (you only live once) attitude which characterises many millennials have led others to perceive them as having a cavalier attitude towards financial prudence.

Millennials who had been less than thrifty with their money in the past said the COVID-19 pandemic has helped them realise the need to be more prudent from now.

Ingrid, the SIA stewardess, said that apart from frequenting higher-end cafes, she also has the expensive habit of taking ride-sharing services wherever she travels, even though an MRT station sits right in front of her residence.

“I will be making a more conscious effort to take public transport when I go out,” she said.

While she saved only about 20 per cent of her salary in the past, she now plans to put aside “a good 35 to 40 per cent”.

Another millennial, who wanted to be known only as Victoria, has already started to alter her spending habits amid concerns that she may be let go by a beauty retailer.

While the 24-year-old had joined the company as a contract staff, she was told that after a year, she would automatically be converted to a full-timer. But at the end of March — on the day she was supposed to become a full-time staff — she was told that there would be a two-month contract extension instead, with no more promises of a conversion.

Due to the uncertainty, Victoria has begun sending her resume to prospective employers in her free time, and has also been saving up in case she loses her job.

She now eats S$2 lunches at hawker centres instead of indulging in S$10 salad bowls, takes public transport more often instead of cabs, and has cut down on unnecessary spending on shoes, accessories and cosmetics, Victoria said.

While she did not set aside a fixed percentage of her income as savings before, Victoria plans to do so in the future with a savings account.

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Mr Lim, the freelance photographer and videographer, said that while he has already been prudent with his spending pre-crisis – saving up to 60 per cent of his earnings, he will now be more willing to invest in himself.

This includes buying equipment that would be useful for his craft, as well as signing up for workshops to learn new skills.

“This will allow me to generate more income or jobs by diversifying the services I have to offer,” he said.

Similarly, Kevin, the air steward, will be using his spare time to pursue a Workforce Skills Qualifications course to train to be a barista. He believes that in tough times, diversifying his skill set is the best way forward.

“(The downturn) could be a time to see any areas that we can improve on for our future employment (prospects), such as taking on a new skill set, instead of watching Netflix (shows) every day,” he added. 

CONCERNS OF OLDER MILLENNIALS

For 33-year-old Sarah Cheng-De Winne, her concerns about a floundering job market are compounded by the fact that – unlike many younger millennials – she has two children aged four and 13 to feed.

Ms Cheng-De Winne, who with her husband owns a brand design company called Relay Room, said that their revenue depends largely on whether they have a stable clientele.

She recalled an incident where her teenage daughter dropped and broke her laptop recently, at a time when the company was still sourcing for new clients.

“I looked at her and asked her ‘where are we going to get S$215 (the repair cost) from? This is not a time to be careless’,” she said. “We were in transition (between getting clients), and we did not know when the next project would be.”

Such anxieties also bother Travis, 37, who declined to give his real name. Though he and his wife do not have children, he is an only child and has to support his elderly parents.

With the pandemic hitting the hospitality industry hard, the employee at a regional hotel chain has seen his company lose much of its revenue. Capacity at some chains is as low as 10 per cent, he said.

Travis, who is in middle-management, has taken a 20 per cent pay cut, and will not be receiving year-end bonuses.

“(The crisis) does add to the anxiety but we have been saving for a rainy day, so we can weather a few months of unemployment without much difficulty,” he said.

He has also bought “plenty of insurance” so that if anything happens to him, his parents will not have to worry about their finances.

Having been through the 2008/2009 financial crisis as a fresh graduate, Travis has this advice for his younger counterparts: Find different ways to contribute to their company and add value to it.

“(Employers) will naturally remember that you actually contributed quite a bit during the tough period, and that would put you in a much better position when things get better,” he said. 

Ms Cheng-De Winne also advises younger millennials to diversify their skills within the industry and find new means to create value.

Last November, she founded a separate e-commerce start-up called Taizjo, which sells handphone slings and lifestyle accessories. This has helped her earn some extra income, as the sales have not been affected during this period when people are being encouraged to remain at home.

“I am not afraid that there will not be opportunities to create value … But of course, you have to search for it, it doesn’t come out of the blue,” she said.

For millennials who find themselves out of work, HR experts said it was important for this group to keep busy while searching for employment.

Ms Carmen Wee from the Institute for Human Resource Professionals said that while employment opportunities may be hard to come by, spending time doing odd jobs and volunteering at charities would be better than being idle at home.

“Future employers will ask (what you did) when the market was slow,” she said. “When you spend your time productively (during the downturn) and do something meaningful … It will demonstrate a lot of character traits and qualities that employers will look at, more than just a degree.”

Neither should one be afraid that employers may look down on odd jobs if one had to take them up to survive, she pointed out.

“It’s all about how you explain (to prospective employers) the economic necessity, and what you learned out of it,” she said. “The ability to step down and be humble and pull through helps to build resilience and maturity, and that helps your career prospects.”

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While there is value in taking up gigs and odd jobs, career strategist Adrian Choo, founder of Career Agility International, cautioned against being over-reliant on them.

“If it’s a short-term thing spanning one or two years, it’s OK, but if you want to be a permanent ‘gigster’, it’s going to harm your career in the long run because you are not developing domain expertise and are not developing any particular skill,” he said. 

As the millennials go through what could be the defining crisis of their generation, they were confident that they would come through it stronger.  

Commenting on the “strawberry generation” label that has been pinned on millennials, Victoria, the employee at the beauty retailer, pointed out that just like every generation before them, maturity and resilience can only come from hardship – and the COVID-19 crisis will provide a stern test of their mettle.  

“Maybe in the past some millennials had (extravagant) lifestyles, but now that we are all working, we see how tough it is … And definitely a lot of us would change our lifestyles,” she said.

“We have to adapt to this crisis. We have no other choice.”