A Singaporean woman hired as an HR staff member shared on Reddit that her job scope has significantly expanded in just over four months.
On Saturday (Feb 28), she wrote in her post that she joined the company under the impression that her position would be strictly focused on human resources. However, within a few months, her responsibilities gradually stretched beyond HR to include administrative duties and office management.
“It honestly feels like I’ve become the saigang person for everything,” she wrote. “I barely have time to actually do HR work anymore.”
When she tried to raise her concerns and explained that she is handling a heavy workload and needs time to complete tasks properly, her boss simply replied, “I’m busy too.”
“He’s already director-level, so I’m not really sure how that comparison helps. I’m the one doing most of the ground work.”
She went on to explain that the situation became even more challenging following a change in management. “I now report to two bosses, which means competing priorities and unclear direction. On top of that, we currently don’t even have internal finance because the previous person left before confirmation, so a lot of operational stuff is just floating around.”
Now feeling stretched thin and increasingly frustrated, she turned to other HR professionals for advice. “How would you handle this situation? Is this just a rough adjustment phase, or a red flag that it’s time to move on?”
“If you can, get them to tell you the priorities.”
In the comments, one Singaporean Redditor suggested that the woman break down her current tasks into what she considers her “core responsibilities” and the extra duties she has picked up along the way. She should then set up a meeting with her boss to get clarity on what should be prioritised and what the plan is going forward.
“If they say the plan is for you to handle everything, tell them what you need to be able to make it work. This could be extra headcount or prioritisation of activities,” they continued. “If they say they are planning to have replacement hires, then get them to commit a timeline and agree to how you can do it from now till the new person comes in.”
Another commented, “If you can, get them to tell you the priorities. If both are passing you instructions to each other, the only way to save yourself is to get both of them together and have them tell you how to deconflict their instructions.”
A third remarked, “Haven’t you heard the joke? If you see the finance guy/bomb squad run, you run too.”
A fourth, however, advised the woman to take this as a learning opportunity. “I think this experience might be good if you’re keen to develop your skills in office administration as well.”
“I understand the overload, but it is genuinely a good learning experience – that’s the kind of employee that remains employable to other employers. If you’re only keen on HR, however, might be time to move on after at least a few more months; 4-month employment doesn’t look very good on paper,” they added.
Quiet hiring
Companies asking their high-performing employees to take on extra work that isn’t part of their official job, instead of hiring more staff, is, unfortunately, not a new trend. This practice is known as “quiet hiring,” and a 2023 survey found that 80% of workers had experienced it at some point.
What you should do
Career experts suggest that when your higher-ups tap on you to take on more responsibilities, it’s important to take a pause first and consider whether the extra work is something you can realistically handle. Don’t say yes immediately.
Ask yourself: Is this just a temporary thing? Do you want to take this chance to learn new stuff, even if you won’t get paid for it? Will it help you move up in your career? If the answer is yes, it might be worth it.
But, if you’re feeling burnt out, think it’s too much, or worry it could affect your current work, it’s okay to politely say no and explain why. That way, your boss can better understand your workload and might find a smarter way to share the tasks or even bring in some extra help.