Ever wondered what will happen to safe distancing ambassadors, swabbers, and temperature screeners after Covid-19 becomes endemic? These temporary roles, in all likelihood, will be cut if/when safe management measures wind down. (1/8)

So what do the workers think? They’re anxious of course. Most of them know that these roles aren’t going to last them forever. Good money though; some are earning S$3,800 a month as swabbers. That’s more than some of them earned in their pre-covid jobs. (2/8)

This is why one swabber I spoke to actually wanted to stay within his role, he hopes that when covid-19 becomes endemic, he will get to keep his job. Many others are looking forward to the economic recovery to return to their jobs. (3/8)

This is because for most of these roles, there are no guarantees of contract extensions. This leaves them little runway to plan for their futures. One swabber I spoke to accepted a lower paying job to get out of this cycle of uncertainty. (4/8)

Others had applied for many jobs only to get rejection after rejection. They say the work they do in Covid-19 roles are too niche and don’t help in their careers. One HR expert agrees. Don’t get too comfortable, he said, but look to upskill and rejoin the workforce. (5/8)

If you don’t, and stay in these temporary roles, then you will find it even harder to get a job in the future when the world moves on. Even if the covid-19 roles remain, they will likely be replaced by technology. Think about those automated gantries at mall entrances. (6/8)

The solution? While the temptation is to ask the Government for more support, we should be hoping for the opposite, say economists. The economy needs to reopen and then Jobs can be naturally created. We are on the precipice of this, with vaccines. (7/8)

I’ve said a lot here, but I say more in this weeks Big Read on this topic. https://t.co/sfgbfLPFa1 (8/8)