SINGAPORE: A lot of us walk into work pretending we’ve got everything under control. We act unbothered by impossible deadlines, toxic coworkers, and bosses who keep piling on more work. But the second we’re alone, all the stress we’ve been holding in comes pouring out.
Recently, one Singaporean woman confessed in a Reddit post that she’s been “crying every day” yet feels like she has no choice but to stay because of the dismal job market.
The situation, she said, has been making her feel “super miserable.”
Having spent five years in the workforce, including two years at her current company, the woman said she never intended to aggressively climb the corporate ladder. In fact, she had already told her bosses that she was “happy in my current role and not looking to get promoted.”
Despite this, she said new responsibilities continue being added to her workload, often without proper guidance or support.
“I have no proper support. Timelines are compressed, responsibilities are piling up. It’s making me super miserable, and I have to OT just to meet expectations. With the lack of support and constant scrutiny for screwing up in these new areas, I want to call it quits.”
“As much as I want to learn, it’s miserable to learn in such a manner. Is it wrong to just want the status quo for a year at least?” she wondered.
“Thank God I don’t have a looming BTO to pay for, but it doesn’t help that I don’t know when I’ll be employed next or whether I’ll have to work in the same industry again.”
The woman added that her colleagues are struggling just as much. “Everyone on the team is busy…. We are all in this together. I am seriously burnt out and lost. How do you all get through such days, and is this really the kind of economy where we can prioritise mental health?” she asked.
“The mental workload and suffering aren’t worth it.”
Her post struck a chord with many online users, who jumped in with messages of support and shared their own experiences to remind her she’s not alone in feeling this way.
One commenter wrote, “Are you me? Because I’m going through the same. Cry before work, during work, and while on my meal breaks, then back to the grind. I’m trying to find another job before leaving, but the market is cold.”
Another said, “Just to let you know that you’re not the only one feeling this way. I’m struggling and overloaded, and sometimes my tears just flowed while working. I’ve been sending resumes and praying I can leave this job ASAP. I know it can be difficult, but cheer up, and I hope that we can escape from this [job] soon!”
Some commenters, meanwhile, urged her to consider quitting for the sake of her mental health.
One told her, “Quit. The mental workload and suffering aren’t worth it, and it’s a vicious cycle because this affects how you think and plan your career/life with calmness and clarity.”
Another added, “If you can, just quit; else go home on time every day and have something to look forward to, like cooking or gaming. Don’t bother with the OT, take care of your own health first.”
In other news, a man has found himself in an unexpected dispute after his ex-fiancée insisted he reimburse her S$15,000 in cash for the CPF downpayment she lost when their BTO application was cancelled.
Hoping to find some guidance, he posted on the r/asksg subreddit on Tuesday (Apr 28).
In his post, he explained that he had been in a relationship with his ex-fiancée for five years before they called off their wedding plans. He also noted that he had already returned her share of the wedding banquet and vendor expenses.
Read more: Man says ex-fiancée demanded S$15k after BTO cancellation: ‘She wants the downpayment back’
