SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker shared on Reddit that his manager has been oddly strict with him whenever he tries to take MC (medical leave/certificate), even though he has only taken two days of medical leave this whole year.
In his post on r/SingaporeJobs on Sunday (Nov 16), he said the company is already known for being very strict about MCs, where anyone who takes too many is quickly labelled a “poor performer,” but somehow, his manager seems extra harsh with him in particular.
He noticed that when people from other departments take MC, his manager does not react at all. There is no comment or criticism, but the moment he needs medical leave, the atmosphere shifts, and it becomes an issue. According to him, his manager will repeat the same line to him every single time, telling him, “Sick also must come to work, I don’t care, no choice.”
Because of this pressure, he once dragged himself to the office even with a fever that reached 39 degrees. He also shared that for medical check-ups, he is required to use his annual leave and return to work afterwards, since, in his manager’s words, he is “not sick sick.”
At the end of his post, he asked other locals in the forum, “Is this the culture out there as well? What are your company’s views on MC?”
“Go look for a better job.”
In the comments, Singaporean Redditors told the worker that what he was going through is not normal in most workplaces.
One Redditor said, “If you’re genuinely sick, just take an MC. I’m an SME boss, and because my office is small, I actually appreciate the sick employee resting rather than spreading their illness to their colleagues.”
“If my offer letter to you is 14 days’ entitlement, you can use up to 14 day,s no questions asked.”
Another remarked, “SMEs are always full of crap and complaints. Go look for a better job. MC should not be taken as a poor performance indicator.”
A third explained, “It really depends on companies, departments and project. It’s normal for managers to have that mindset where the ones that keep taking MC are the ones that are trying to use up their Medical leaves, since they don’t take care of themselves properly outside of work, go party or sleep late, then go work until they are sick.”
They added, “At the same time, if the manager is a proper decent person, they will understand if a worker needs MC to recover from a flu or needs time off to deal with a Medical condition. Like, if their own kids fall sick, what would they say themselves? ‘Fight through the pain and go back to study/work?’”
In other news, a fresh grad took to social media to share his “baffling encounter” with a recruiter who told him his salary expectations were too high.
Posting on the r/askSingapore forum, the fresh grad recounted that he was asked about his expected salary during a conversation with the recruiter about a potential job opportunity. When he mentioned S$3K or more, the recruiter responded that it was “a bit steep” for someone who had just graduated.
