SINGAPORE: A staff member at the National University of Singapore (NUS) took to social media to share that he no longer feels proud of the institution after witnessing “the politics, the hypocrisy, the unfair promotions,” and the recent removal of work-from-home arrangements.
In a post shared on the NUSWhispers Facebook page on Thursday (Nov 6), the individual said that in his early days, he “genuinely loved his job.”
“I believed in what I was doing, and I found meaning in helping students grow and succeed. I poured my heart into the work because I truly thought I was making a difference,” he said.
“But over time, I saw the ugly side of the organisation. The politics, the hypocrisy, the unfair promotions, it was disheartening. People who didn’t deserve it somehow got promoted, while those who actually worked hard and cared were sidelined.”
According to the staff, decisions on promotions often had less to do with capability or contribution and more to do with “who you know” and internal manoeuvring.
He recalled a colleague being promoted despite lacking leadership ability, apparently because senior management was worried the person might resign.
“It’s not about merit anymore, it’s about how well you play the game,” he added.
He also mentioned that some long-time staff seemed to take medical leave very frequently, especially right before or right after weekends.
“Some of them blatantly abuse their sick leave, often conveniently falling ill before or after weekends, creating long breaks for themselves again and again,” he wrote. “Everyone knows it, everyone sees it, but nothing happens. They get away with it while the rest of us pick up the slack. Just because they spent [over] 20 years of their lives in NUS.”
The recent scrapping of work-from-home (WFH) arrangements across NUS was the final nail in the coffin for him. Staff were told the change would take effect immediately, yet some schools and business units continued enjoying one day of WFH per week until November.
“How is that even fair? Why are certain departments/schools allowed to bend the rules while others are forced to follow them strictly?” he wrote.
“It’s frustrating and honestly disappointing. I once believed in the values NUS claimed to stand for — integrity, fairness, excellence. But after what I’ve seen, it feels like those words are just for show. The real culture underneath tells a very different story.”
“You are obviously working in a bubble.”
In the comments, many pointed out to the staff member that the issues he raised happen in many workplaces, not just in NUS.
One netizen wrote that this is simply how corporate environments work, and that he can either accept the pay and conditions or look for a job elsewhere that suits him better.
“You are not there to play police,” they added. “Take the monthly pay or go elsewhere for better pay. Or you can take MC too; no one is stopping you except your own internal justice that is causing you to feel unbalanced.”
Another agreed with this view, writing, “It’s about time to wake up from that fantasy bubble which the nubile mind created. In a perfect Utopian world, yes, perhaps what you aspire or imagine the real world is, can be achieved, or rather, already is.”
“The sooner you realise this, the easier it will be for you, at least mentally. Raging against “systems” will not get you anywhere.”
A third commented, “Siao lah, what you mention is common in other places. You are obviously working in a bubble. And WFH is a privilege. If you want to be [at] home, then you quit your job and let someone unemployed take your job in the office la.”
In other news, a jobseeker shared on Reddit that the “marketing executive” job he applied for turned out to be far more demanding than what the job title suggested, with the employer expecting him to take on multiple roles for a salary below S$3,500.
Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Friday (Nov 7), he explained that the job description initially looked like a standard marketing role involving day-to-day campaign and branding work.
However, during the interview, the employer revealed that the position would also require him to handle sales outreach, manage social media accounts, assist with HR tasks, take on administrative duties, design graphics, coordinate events, create content, and manage CRM systems.
