SINGAPORE: People rarely quit on impulse. Most just tough it out, deal with the stress, and tell themselves it’ll get better… until something finally pushes them over the edge.
In a Reddit thread, Singaporeans opened up about the exact moment they realised they were done for good.
The discussion began after one user asked, “What was the ‘final straw’ that made you quit your job without a backup plan?”
Small salary bump
One former employee shared that a minimal salary increase was the final trigger that pushed them to resign.
“When I got a S$4 increment back in 2003 as an associate engineer, another engineer got only S$12. I quit immediately the next day.”
Insensitive boss
Another person shared a frightening experience involving their boss, who ignored a serious health condition.
“My boss pressured me to eat seafood, which I am deathly allergic to, and then proceeded to call me weak and a picky eater. This was the final straw after daily berating from him.”
Unfair pay
One individual said they realised they were being underpaid compared to a colleague doing the same role.
“When my colleague and I were performing the same role, she was earning S$4,000 (8+ years with a diploma), while I was paid S$3,600 (5 1/2 years with the company when I quit and pursuing a part-time master’s degree in Big 3).”
They added that the disparity became harder to accept when workloads were not evenly shared.
“Day to day, she contributed very little and was even allowed to work from home for three months due to family issues. I understand having empathy, but it became too much. I also have family issues. Meanwhile, I was expected to be physically present in the office.”
Severe burnout
For another worker, the turning point came from recognising their own exhaustion.
“I was frustrated for a few months already due to burnout. Then, all in one day: Watching YouTube videos about ‘symptoms of burnout’ in the office. Realising I was experiencing every single one of them. Taking three hours to complete one task that used to take half an hour. And then hearing your director niam you the entire afternoon.”
That combination pushed them past their breaking point. By that night, they had written their resignation letter and sent it.
Denied time off
One employee said they were refused even half a day of remote work to care for a sick family member.
“I was denied HALF a day of work-from-home (WFH) to take care of my sick grandma. My boss, who rejected it, works remotely, and her boss WFH a few times a month for various reasons, like a repairman coming to fix the fridge, expecting a delivery so she must be home to receive it, etc.”
Difficult management style
Another person described working under a manager who made their daily life unbearable.
“My last audit manager was literally driving me out of my mind. He [would] yell at me if I was late just by a few hours…he kept complaining about my work, finding fault with it constantly. Review points only got longer, and I was being scolded on age-old problems. He had me beg him for tips on how to clear his review points. He claimed I couldn’t be trusted with anything, my attitude was poor, etc.”
Over time, the constant criticism began to affect their mental health. “It got so bad that my family found me in the toilet, shouting and swearing at my own reflection. That was when I was forced to quit.”
Biased evaluation
One worker said they realised their boss was not evaluating ideas fairly.
“When my boss disagreed with my plan, I asked my subordinate to present [the same idea] using different wording. [Suddenly], the boss praised it.”
Small rewards
Another employee said years of effort went unrecognised despite delivering major results.
“My boss is a micromanager who, on one hand, [talks about] ‘creative freedom’ but then the only opinion he listens to is his own.”
“He will say one thing but mean another, and for years I’ve been bringing in projects, and one year I brought in the biggest project in terms of revenue and singlehandedly won us the account. All I got was a 1.5x 13-month bonus. Meanwhile, no promotion or increment for 4 years.”
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