SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employee has sparked online discussion after revealing that he constantly fears being fired from his job, even though his take-home pay is only around S$2,000 after CPF, because of an intensely micromanaging and toxic boss.
In a post on the r/singaporejobs subreddit on Wednesday (Feb 4), the employee claimed that his boss runs the office with an iron grip and zero tolerance for mistakes. According to him, staff are routinely pressured to work weekends without overtime pay, while any problems that arise are pinned entirely on employees.
To make matters worse, every staff member is reportedly required to submit “hourly reports” explaining exactly what they are doing throughout the day, a system the employee said “results in more inefficiency and added workload.”
He also claimed that the boss’s behaviour is highly mood-driven. Even if an employee raises a valid or work-related question, doing so at the wrong time can have serious consequences.
“Even if you ask relevant questions and the boss is in a bad mood, you may get shouted at, held a grudge against, and then fired,” he wrote. “Part of the reason why I got to stay is because I take all the criticism and am a ‘yes man,’ because if you say no, it will be taken as insubordination, and you’ll get fired.”
Because of his boss’s explosive and unpredictable behaviour, the employee said he constantly fears being dismissed without warning.
“I did a lot of self-reflection. I know that I have to be resilient, and the job market is terrible, but even then, I realised people who do their work but slightly raise genuine concerns get fired due to insubordination,” he said.
“People say being fired will have a direct impact on your future jobs, so I feel scared because the boss is unpredictable, and I don’t know if I want to leave that mark permanently on my CV.”
He added that while he can tolerate the heavy workload, harsh scoldings, and severe stress, the high risk of being fired for convenience or minor issues makes staying feel “pointless.”
“It’s the firing due to convenience that affects me,” he continued. “Turnover rate is very high, and the longest-staying employee is only 2 years, and that was because of a contractual bond. Growth is also very stagnant and limited. I don’t think people’s lives should be ruined that easily over having genuine discussions or raising valid concerns. There’s even more red flags, but I genuinely just need advice.”
“You need to prioritise your mental and physical health.”
In the discussion thread, many users admitted that if they were in his shoes, they would resign from the company.
“I would just leave, to be honest,” one said. “This is not worth keeping. You might as well do part-time work with that kind of low salary while you look for another job. I doubt you would lose much at this stage by going part-time.”
“The job market is tough, but you need to prioritise your mental and physical health. Wish you all the best,” another told him.
“Exit quickly. You are getting used to the scolding, and this is not a healthy sign. The boss is squashing your confidence. What I would do is leave and work part-time jobs while looking for another role. I assume you are young, with no dependents and no debt,” a third added.
A few others, however, suggested that he find another job first before throwing in the towel.
“Quiet quit, find a job in parallel, and resign once you get something,” one said. “That way, you take the pressure off while you’re there and find something else on the side.”
In other news, a woman was surprised when a man she went on a first date with asked her to send him money via PayNow for dinner, several days after they met.
She shared her experience on the r/askSingapore forum, explaining that she had agreed to meet the man, who is in his 30s, after they had developed a good connection through their conversations on a dating app.
Read more: Woman says she’s ‘bewildered’ after man asks her to ‘PayNow him’ for their first date dinner
