SINGAPORE: Nobody wants to burn out at work. Most of us just want to finish our tasks, clock out at a reasonable hour, go home, and collapse onto our beds like functioning adults, but somehow, there are still workers out there who seem oddly proud of staying late and torching their weekends for the job.
Recently, in a post on the r/askSingapore forum, one employee spilt that their colleagues have been “humble bragging about how late they work and how they burn their weekends.”
Some, according to the employee, even talked about feeling burnt out.
Clearly unimpressed, the employee asked fellow Redditors whether this kind of behaviour is being quietly normalised in Singapore workplaces. “Is burnout and working long hours as a badge of honour normalised among employees in SG?”
“This is common amongst younger folks and those with families to feed.”
In the comments, many locals said that burnout has become not just normal but sometimes even celebrated in certain workplaces.
One user explained, “The thing is that burnout isn’t just normalised, it’s valorised. I guess when you’re raised into believing that studying to the point of exhaustion isn’t just an expectation but something praiseworthy, you naturally extrapolate those ideals into adulthood.”
“You learn to associate hard work not just with the results it produces but as a performative gesture to signal your moral worth and character.”
Another agreed with this view, saying, “It starts from schooling days, always talking about how they studied till late at night, mugging really hard for this and that. This spills over to adulthood.”
A third added, “Yes, this is common amongst younger folks and those with families to feed. You get tired of this when you grow older, though.”
Some users also noted that this is happening in many other countries, not just Singapore. One shared, “Man, I went on a business trip to China. Colleagues there worked from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and there are still people after 10. It kind of made me appreciate Singapore’s work culture more.”
That said, not everyone thinks all hope is lost. According to them, there are still some companies in Singapore that prioritise work-life balance over anything else.
One shared, “I HATE colleagues who brag about OT or staying late, and I’m glad I have none of these at the moment. It’s really about the culture of the department or company & how much the leaders take well-being seriously. If you are in an MNC filled with people from various countries, this would help a lot.”
Another wrote, “It depends on your company and the people you hang out with. It’s frowned upon by mine. At the end of the day, it’s just a job. I’d rather spend long hours with my family.”
In other news, one bridesmaid says she is now considering rejecting all future bridesmaid offers after a horrid experience with a couple who not only referred to her as a “helper” but also gave her less than S$30 in angbao in exchange for her efforts.
On Thursday (Feb 5), she took to the r/askSingapore forum to share her “frustrating bridesmaid experience,” see if others had similar stories, and ask whether this was considered normal.
Read more: Singapore bridesmaid fumes after being dubbed a ‘helper’ and given less than S$30 in angbao
