SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker took to social media on Wednesday (Sep 18) to ask others how they usually handled negativity from toxic bosses in SMEs who are “lazy, shift blame to others, and provide no support”.
In a post on r/askSingapore, she explained that despite her efforts to maintain a positive outlook, the persistent negativity at work has been taking a toll on her emotional well-being.
“I find myself crying more often at work now due to the negativity and anxiety not knowing what to expect next,” she shared. “I also think it’s partly due to the hormones from my pregnancy but I try not to cry as I’m afraid it would affect the baby.”
She also mentioned that she’s been dealing with a lot of extra tasks and responsibilities without any help or support from her boss or colleagues.
“Makes me mad knowing I’m doing everything while my colleague just sleeps and uses his phone all day and the director sees no issue with it,” she expressed.
She has tried asking her boss for help in figuring out which tasks to prioritize so she can manage her workload better, but he ignored her pleas and instead piled on more tasks, making her situation even more stressful.
“I’ve run out of options and there’s nobody in the company I can bring this up to as we do not have HR and I report directly to the director,” she added.
“I also can’t resign yet as I’d be losing out on my benefits. But it’s mentally draining and I can’t take it anymore..”
“Accept that you can’t meet his expectations. Accept that your colleague is just a tree stump.”
In the discussion thread, Singaporean Redditors shared how they dealt with such negativity in their own workplace.
One Redditor commented, “For me, I find the more you fight and dwell on the injustice, the more difficult it is to cope. If you have no other choice but stay, accept that your boss will always tekan you.
“Accept that you can’t meet his expectations. Accept that your colleague is just a tree stump. Don’t fight back already. Waste energy. Stay quiet. Just give lackluster and half hearted answers.”
Another advised, “Just take it slow, and if your boss complains then tell him you are unwell, you need more rest for the baby. Hard to change your mindset but tell yourself you have to do it for your baby.
“Your boss doesn’t care about you, why should you sacrifice your health and possibly your baby’s health for him?”
A third Redditor said, “Maybe a mindset shift? Do what you can, within your limits, anything beyond is beyond you and not a problem you should be burdened with. And state what you can or cannot complete upfront.”
Meanwhile, others speculated that her boss might be trying to force her out of the company. They pointed out that by allowing her colleague to slack off and loading her with extra tasks, he could be deliberately trying to make her quit.
If that’s the case, they suggested she start looking for other opportunities, either within the company or elsewhere, that could provide a more supportive and positive work environment.
One Redditor added, “Maybe they are trying to make you quit by yourself because they don’t want to pay for your maternity leave.. sorry for asking but how many weeks now? If almost due, try to tahan and don’t care about them. Don’t care too much.”
Featured image by Depositphotos