SINGAPORE: A teenage part-time worker has spoken out about alleged workplace bullying after a newly transferred full-time employee targeted her in a staff group chat.
The 18-year-old shared her experience on the Reddit forum r/SingaporeRaw on Wednesday (26 Feb), describing how the work environment at her food and beverage (F&B) job changed after her previous supervisor retired.
She had been following the same routine for three months, but after finishing a shift alone one day, she was unexpectedly called out in the staff group chat by the new full-timer.
It was alleged that this worker sent a series of sarcastic messages questioning why the freezer was left unlocked, tubs were not cleaned, and ice cream was not displayed properly.
When she privately messaged him to explain that she did not have access to the company’s computer to check which flavours to display, he insisted she repeat her response in the group chat, which included all part-timers and two full-timers.
Feeling pressured, she complied, but he continued to challenge her, sarcastically asking if she was “sure” she didn’t know the procedures.
He then threatened to stop giving her shifts, claiming she was incapable of handling opening duties.
With no one else stepping in, she felt isolated.
“What was the point of causing a ruckus in the work group chat?” she questioned.
A friend later suggested that the full-timer’s actions were intended to humiliate her publicly, as the issue could have been resolved privately. Uncomfortable with the situation, she resigned.
Ironically, she recalled that when the new full-timer first arrived, she was the one who taught him how to close the shop.
Reddit Users Weigh In
Reddit users shared their thoughts on the situation.
One suggested that since she had already left but was still upset, she should email HR or the manager to report the full-timer’s behaviour.
Another argued that she should have defended herself in the group chat and escalated the issue if necessary, warning that tolerating such behaviour enables the mistreatment of local part-timers.
They added that toxic employees should be “driven out.”
Some questioned whether the job was well-paying, advising her to find an alternative if it wasn’t, as toxic environments should not be tolerated.
One user encouraged her to leave if the job was low-paying, arguing that the work environment matters more than the ease of work.
They also suggested handling workplace conflicts strategically—if a co-worker keeps nitpicking, ask them to write out the procedure in the group chat.
If they refuse, escalate the issue to the manager, stating that they were withholding information.
Debate Over Malaysian Chinese Workers in Singapore
The discussion also shifted towards nationality and workplace dynamics, with some users alleging that such behaviour was common among Malaysian Chinese workers in Singapore.
One user questioned whether the full-timer was a foreigner, claiming that some Malaysian Chinese intentionally create a hostile environment to push out local workers and replace them with their own people.
The original poster (OP) confirmed that all the full-timers at the store were Malaysian Chinese and found it odd that there were no Singaporean locals.
Another user suggested that Malaysian Chinese workers often push locals to resign through bullying.
One commenter recalled overhearing Malaysians saying that Singaporeans were not suited for F&B jobs and speculated that some workers try to maintain workplace hierarchy by pushing out locals.
Another commenter warned OP to expect similar experiences in the working world, saying that calling out colleagues in group chats was common among Malaysians.
The user speculated that Malaysian workers deliberately made their colleagues’ lives difficult so they would resign voluntarily.
However, they noted that not all Malaysians were toxic and advised OP to treat it as a learning experience, as every workplace has both good and bad people.
Concerns Over Hiring Practices in Singapore
The debate also expanded into Singapore’s hiring policies, with some users claiming that locals were being sidelined in favour of foreign hires.
One user argued that “village hiring”—where foreign workers recruit from their own communities—was rampant in both multinational corporations (MNCs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), leaving Singaporeans as “diversity hires” in their own country.
They suggested that locals were often viewed as undesirable because they refused to accept jobs with unsustainable pay.
While acknowledging that some foreigners contributed positively to the economy, they argued that the system was too easy to exploit, with businesses taking advantage of it due to the government’s pro-business stance.
Singapore regulates the hiring of foreign workers through quotas and levies to maintain a balance between local and migrant employment.
For the services sector, which includes F&B outlets, the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) is set at 35%, meaning foreign workers can make up no more than 35% of a company’s total workforce.
According to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers must also pay a monthly foreign worker levy, which varies based on the industry and the worker’s qualifications.
These measures aim to prevent excessive reliance on foreign labour while supporting local employment.
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