SINGAPORE: After a decade in the same job, a 34-year-old Singaporean worker has finally decided to call it quits, saying the pressure in his workplace has become unbearable.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Wednesday (Dec 3), he explained that, on paper, his situation looks rather “cushy.” The company is owned by his aunt, his monthly take-home pay sits at around S$4,000, and he even has the use of a company car. To most people, that would sound like a comfortable arrangement, yet behind the perks, he says he has been running on fumes, and the constant pressure has pushed him to the brink of burnout.
“I am expected to be on call, even on vacations, and to keep things right,” he wrote. “The only other assistant I have is one more guy, and we are doing warehousing and ops. I can’t take it anymore. I’m thinking of downgrading my role for my sanity.”
Looking for clarity, the worker asked fellow Reddit users whether anyone had been in a similar situation and how they navigated their way out of it.
“4k is ‘cushy’? You’re severely underpaid, dude.”
Considering how bleak the job market currently is, one Singaporean Reddit user suggested that instead of throwing in the towel altogether, the worker might want to consider taking a sabbatical.
“Why not ask for a couple of months off?” the commenter wrote. “Paid or unpaid is really down to your aunt’s discretion, but a break might help reset your engines, and if it still doesn’t work out, you can always leave afterwards and look for something new.”
Another user echoed the same sentiment, warning that this might not be the best time to be unemployed. “The economy and job market are fragile right now. At least in a family business, you won’t be the first to be retrenched in bad times, unlike in an MNC.”
Others, however, took a different view entirely and urged the worker to “jump ship” rather than hang on for the sake of stability.
“You need to jump,” one insisted. “It’s not realistic to spend your whole career working for relatives. You’ll always be ‘under’ them. Make the leap to another company in a more senior role, so that if the opportunity ever comes, you can return ‘home’ to run the business.”
Another was far more blunt about it: “4k is ‘cushy’? You’re severely underpaid, dude. In the same time span, I’ve touched 5 figures a month simply because I’ve jumped 3-4 times now. Each time I have jumped, I got a 25% salary increase. In my most recent job switch, I wasn’t even keen on joining them. They bumped me up a further S$1.2k a month on top of what they were going to give me just so I would change my mind and join them.”
Meanwhile, a third commenter reminded him to prioritise his well-being above all else. “Your mental well-being is always the most important. If you can find the same or better, go for it! Even if just a little pay is reduced, it should be somewhat acceptable if it is more relaxing, jia you.”
In other news, a 24-year-old Singaporean woman has taken to Reddit to share her growing regret over not continuing her studies, explaining that her limited qualifications are now making it difficult for her to build a stable career.
Posting on the r/singaporefi subreddit on Monday (Dec 1), the woman revealed that she stopped studying after completing her N Levels because she was heavily “bullied” in school.