SINGAPORE: Feeling completely burnt out, a Singaporean employee says he has finally decided to leave a Chinese-owned small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) for his own sanity.
On a local forum on Wednesday (Feb 11), he opened up about some of the unreasonable demands his boss placed on him and the rest of the staff.
According to him, employees were expected to work on weekends without complaint and without additional pay. Despite the extra hours, they were allegedly held fully accountable for meeting the boss’s expectations, even in situations where she failed to provide clear instructions or proper guidance.
He also claimed that his boss frequently asked him to run personal errands that had nothing to do with his role. In one instance, he was told to travel to her home simply to deliver tape so she could measure items in her new house.
In another incident, he said she instructed him to create a website to support her son’s university application. The project reportedly used materials and work he had already developed for the company. Afterwards, her son was credited as the “co-author,” leaving him feeling that his efforts had been exploited and misrepresented.
The employee also recounted a particularly painful moment when he was required to attend a meeting less than two hours after informing his boss that a loved one had passed away. Grief apparently was not considered a valid excuse.
Considering how much work he had handled on his own, the man said he requested a “strongly worded letter of recommendation” from his boss after handing in his resignation.
He even drafted one himself so she wouldn’t have to put in much effort, but instead of acknowledging his contributions, she allegedly dismissed everything he had done.
“She had shared that much of the groundbreaking work, which I had done and indicated in the letter, were the skills of an entrepreneur, which I clearly was not,” he wrote.
“Instead, she made it seem that I was only ‘very good at talking,’ trying to diminish all the work I’d done to build the organisation in the past year and make it seem that I have the gift of the gab, as I have chosen to shift to teaching. I am still reeling and hurt from these awful comments.”
Even after leaving the company, he said he struggles to feel any kind of relief. He does not feel excited that it is over, and he does not feel free from the negative environment.
“I am truly numb. I find myself unable to truly relax or to be ‘happy’ that I have left. Instead, I still have some flashbacks of my time working at this organisation, and I realise I do need to take some sort of a ‘break’ before I commence my new role.”
He ended his post by asking others who have gone through similar situations how they coped and what helped them move on.
“You’re experiencing trauma; hence, the negative feelings still linger on.”
In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor shared their perspective on the situation, writing:
“SME can really be a hellhole. What you experienced is not normal for the majority of bigger companies. To be honest, just leaving and starting fresh at a bigger place or with a better work culture will help to put the negative past behind you.”
Another user recommended finding ways to release frustration in a healthy way, like “exercising, doing chores, or working on small projects,” so that the negative thoughts won’t keep replaying or affect the man’s sleep.
They also quipped, “Or print your boss’s face on a dartboard and throw darts at it every day. Just kidding.”
A third advised, “You’re experiencing trauma; hence, the negative feelings still linger on. What helped me was grounding and breathing techniques, meditation, and having a life outside of work—hobbies, etc.
“It’s the mentality shift as well. Currently, you’re experiencing ruminating thoughts. If you are unable to manage the anxiety, then I would suggest seeking help from a therapist.”
In other news, a concerned husband took to an online forum to express his outrage over a shocking workplace incident involving his wife’s female manager, who had allegedly spiked her drink on multiple occasions.
“My wife took a sip and noticed an unusual flavour and poured the drink away unsuspectingly because there is CCTV around. When my wife felt nauseous and wanted to vomit, the manager sent a message, claiming that it was a ‘collagen supplement,’ and she put a pill into her drink to help with the energy boost,” he explained.
Read more: My wife’s office manager keeps spiking her drink, yet the company still keeps the manager around
