SINGAPORE: An employee took to social media to express his frustration after his company had him carry out “a manager’s job for one year,” promoted him afterwards, but gave him “zero increment.”
Posting on the r/singaporejobs forum on Monday (Mar 23), the employee, who works in warehouse operations, said there had been a “promotion freeze last year,” though his boss had assured him that he would be promoted in 2026.
Taking that assurance seriously, he stepped up and took on significantly more responsibility. For about a year, he was effectively performing as a manager in all but title, overseeing a broad range of operations including “receiving, quality control, packing, inventory management, handling escalations, reporting, and overall team performance.”
The scope of his role expanded well beyond his original position, and he was managing both processes and people on a day-to-day basis.
Then, things changed unexpectedly. The boss who had made the promise was removed from the company during a restructuring exercise on Dec 29, 2025. According to the employee, the company had been acquired about two years ago, but only recently carried out major structural changes, which led to shifts in reporting lines and responsibilities.
Following the restructuring, he eventually received the manager title he had been working towards. However, despite the promotion, there was no salary adjustment.
“There was no adjustment at all. Same pay, just more responsibility and a nicer title,” he said. “So right now, I already did the manager role for 1 year. Got officially promoted, managing supervisors and team leads, but my salary is still the same.”
When he raised the issue internally, he said the responses were “slow and vague,” which left him demoralised.
Unsure of what to do next, he turned to Reddit to seek advice. “Be honest: Is this normal during restructuring or just a bad sign? Are they basically taking advantage since I already proved I can do the job? Would you stay and wait, or start planning an exit now? I’ve been trying to apply outside, but I’m not getting interviews yet, which makes this situation worse.”
“Plan for exit, but do not expect this exit to happen soon.”
In the discussion thread, one Singaporean Redditor advised him to stay in his current position while “actively looking out” for other opportunities.
They added, “Do market research, check with buddies, and feel what the market rate is. You may or may not be underpaid. One year of experience as a manager is not enough. Stick around for a while and accumulate experience.”
Another pointed out that the company not giving him any raise “was a red flag.” “The only positive is you can use that manager title in your resume or LinkedIn profile to get a better job. But then again, ask yourself, are you happy at the job? Are you comfortable? Is your salary above average in your industry?”
A third commenter, meanwhile, urged him to start thinking about an exit strategy. “Situations have changed internally. The person who promised you the promotion has left. Unfortunately, the external situation has also become worse. It is now an employer’s market. Plan for exit, but do not expect this exit to happen soon.”
In other news, a local engineering graduate from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), who finished his degree last year and completed three internships—two at university and one at polytechnic—said he is still struggling to find a job despite months of searching.
The graduate, who spoke candidly about his situation on Reddit, explained that when he first began job hunting, he underestimated how “difficult the market would be” and limited his applications to positions directly related to his field of study.
