SINGAPORE: A frustrated Singaporean employee took to social media to air her grievances about her boss, who refuses to let her quit despite knowing her coworkers are bullying her.
In a post on r/askSingapore, an online forum on Reddit, she explained that things started going downhill after she mistakenly opened up to a 47-year-old coworker about her personal life.
Rather than creating a closer bond, her coworker used this personal information to undermine her in front of everyone. “Gradually, the rest of the office joined in. They would cough when my name was mentioned and make frowny faces.
This collective behaviour shook my confidence. I became afraid to speak up because she (the coworker) would dismiss my contributions in a condescending manner.
I eventually spoke to our boss about it, but it seemed like the boss had already heard negative things about me from someone else, likely this coworker, who had spoken to her before I did,” she explained.
After the meeting, she also noticed that her coworkers became even more hostile.
They openly showed their contempt by slamming a magazine in front of her, glaring at her, and distracting her by “copying her mouse clicks and banging their mice.”
“The environment has become so hostile that it’s difficult to concentrate. Standing up for myself no longer seems like an option,” she lamented.
Feeling cornered and unsupported, the employee ultimately decided that the best course of action was to resign and leave the toxic environment.
Unfortunately, even this decision was met with resistance. Her boss refused to accept her resignation, insisting that “she needed to learn to stand up for herself” instead of leaving.
She then asked the online community, “Can my boss refuse to let me resign? How should I leave this toxic work environment?
What should I tell her as the real reason for leaving? Is ‘I’m not a good culture fit’ a good reason? What if she grills me more? Is there an alternative? Could they blacklist me so I won’t get hired again?”
“Resignation is a form of notice, not a request.”
In the discussion thread, Singaporean Redditors reassured her that no company in Singapore is allowed to refuse a resignation letter. One Redditor even cited a passage from the Ministry of Manpower’s website in the comments section, writing:
“Your employer cannot reject your resignation. You have the right to resign at any time by serving the required notice or by paying compensation to your employer in lieu of notice. It is an offence for employers to disallow employees to leave their job.”
Another explained, “Resignation is a form of notice, not a request. Include the date in your resignation letter and your last day of service according to your notice period. Email your boss and CC HR.
If your contract does not stipulate the notice period, then it’d be according to the MOM guidelines. If your employer refuses to pay you your final salary within seven days of your last day of service, report to MOM.”
A third Redditor said, “You are an employee, not an indentured servant. You do not need to ask for your freedom. You do not need to justify your decision to leave. Consider this a lesson in trust and boundaries, and move on for the sake of your mental health.”
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