SINGAPORE: A worker recently turned to Reddit to ask whether it’s really normal for teams in Singapore to spend ‘more time in meetings than actually doing work.’
On the r/sgCareers subreddit, the worker vented about the overwhelming number of meetings in his workplace. He explained that his days are filled with endless “catch-ups, syncs, stand-ups, updates, and alignment sessions,” leaving him little to no time to start on the actual tasks until late in the afternoon.
He also noted that in some Singaporean teams, meetings have become the default way to communicate, even in situations where a simple message or short email would have been sufficient.
“Once one meeting gets added, suddenly there’s a follow-up meeting, then a ‘quick discussion,’ then a ‘final alignment.’ Before you know it, your whole week is packed and nothing really moves,” he wrote.
Fed up with the never-ending cycle, the worker added, “It’s tiring because the more meetings there are, the more after-hours work you end up doing just to catch up. And sometimes you sit through calls where only two people are talking, while everyone else is just there ‘in case.’”
“Not sure if it’s a Singapore thing or just modern office culture, but it definitely feels like meetings are taking over the actual work time these days,” he concluded.
“This really just depends on your job role.”
The Reddit post sparked a lively discussion among other users, many of whom shared similar frustrations about excessive meetings.
One user said, “Yeah, I got kind of banned from meetings and received a low appraisal for ‘teamwork and rapport’ because I always say no to meetings and simply read the meeting minutes afterward. One hour of meeting, three sentences in the minutes, and I’m the problem? Sheesh. Sidenote: I also hate it when they mix small talk in between meeting points…”
Another commented, “I hate unnecessary meetings. You can’t get anything done that way.”
A third added, “This really just depends on your job role. If you’re a transactor, no. If you’re a manager, yes.”
Several users also attempted to explain why meetings are so prevalent in Singapore workplaces.
One said, “In SG, appearance matters greatly. Bosses appreciate busy work, and it’s a barometer of whether a person is getting things done.”
Another agreed with this view, writing, “Yeah. Catch ups and Stand ups are all a way to justify the middle management’s presence to ensure that they keep their jobs.”
In other news, a young woman is pleading for advice online after discovering that her mum is being bullied into working overtime for free.
On Monday (Dec 1), the woman shared in a post on the r/askSingapore forum that her mum’s work usually ends at 5:30 p.m. (as stated in her employment contract), and she normally reaches their house around 6:00 p.m. However, ever since her new boss joined the company, her mum has been coming home past 8:30 p.m. almost every day.
