SINGAPORE: SME bosses are frequently the villains in many people’s stories. They’re always described as toxic, power-hungry bullies who thrive on turning their employees’ lives into a nightmare. However, a Singaporean took to the Reddit forum to flip the narrative.
In a post on r/askSingapore, he wrote, “We tend to read nightmarish stories of SMEs here from not getting paid on time for months to workplace bullying, etc. What are some meaningful, decent stories of bosses or colleagues you have experienced working in a SME so far?”
In the discussion thread that followed, many Singaporeans chimed in with personal stories about SME bosses who defied the usual negative stereotypes and genuinely went above and beyond for their employees.
The ‘salt of the earth’ boss
One user shared that her husband has been with the same SME for over a decade, and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. Since their first child was born, the company has given him the flexibility to work from home whenever the family has an emergency.
She added, “His boss doesn’t micromanage at all. Very salt-of-the-earth, family-first people who walk the talk. As a result, colleagues are also understanding toward each other. They work hard together during crunch time and show interest in each other’s kids and home lives.
His boss also celebrates each person’s birthday yearly with a buffet or restaurant meal, a cake, and a present. For Christmas and Chinese New Year, they close for a week. It’s a wholesome place.”
The ‘nice and understanding’ boss
Another user shared that he works at a company where only 10 people are employed.
He said, “My boss is nice and understanding. No office politics; we all get along and hang out after work for fun on our own accord. It’s very fast-paced, but it’s industry-related.
The increment is 20% yearly, and even though revenue isn’t as good as last year, we will receive a two-month bonus.”
However, he expressed concern about working in such a small company, noting that there may be limited opportunities for personal growth. While he’s considering moving to an MNC for more learning opportunities, he’s hesitant because the pay at larger companies is typically lower.
The ‘very approachable’ bosses
A third user recounted her experience interning at an SME with about 150 employees.
Although the office was located in an industrial area and wasn’t particularly glamorous, she found that the work environment more than made up for it, as everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming.
She wrote, “My bosses were Malaysian Chinese and very approachable. They were in the office every day.
Every day, one of the engineers would bring cut fruit for tea breaks. At lunchtime, we would pile into one or two cars to go eat at a hawker centre. Once in a while, we would eat at a nice restaurant, and someone would treat us.”
As an intern, she was also pleasantly surprised to earn S$850 instead of the mandatory S$450, which made her feel valued and motivated throughout her experience.
The ‘generous’ boss
A fourth user shared that his boss went out of his way to pay all employees above-average salaries as a reward for their hard work. He also consistently stood up for the team whenever unhappy customers complained.
Unfortunately, everything changed when new owners took over the company. “It quickly became much more of the stereotypical SME experience,” he said.
The ‘supportive’ boss
A fifth user shared that she stayed at an SME for eight years because of the positive work environment.
Her boss was incredibly understanding and flexible, allowing her to come into the office later at 11 am instead of the usual 9 am, and even offered her the option to work from home long before it became popular.
“She treated me like a daughter and groomed me. Stood up for me when a client wanted to sue me and asked the client to back off,” she said.
The workplace culture was also noteworthy; her colleagues formed a tight-knit community where office politics were virtually nonexistent. Instead of competing against each other, everyone was united in their efforts to make the company succeed.
“[The company] gave me the opportunity to gain experience working outside Singapore, which led me to start my own business,” she added.
Other users who joined the discussion also mentioned that they’d prefer working in SMEs over big corporations. Many said they loved the more personal and supportive vibe that smaller companies usually have.
One user said, “I’d rather work in an SME any day, with a closely knitted team, than be just another brick in the wall in an MNC that doesn’t care about you.”
Another commented, “SMEs are not as bad as everyone thinks besides the pay. The amount of bad processes and politics in bigger companies is just unreal. If you have not encountered any of it, it’s simply because your boss or boss’ boss is shielding you all.
Aka, great bosses.”