SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker took to social media on Sunday (Oct 3) to share his troubling experience with a foreign boss pressuring him and other employees to donate to an overseas “charity.”
In a lengthy post on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum, the worker explained that he has been working at this bank for almost three years and has never encountered anything like this before.
He described how the atmosphere at the workplace drastically changed when the new boss, who transferred from the Dubai branch, took over.
The boss immediately implemented a series of micromanagement tactics that made employees feel uncomfortable and stressed.
“[He] started with giving notices of how each person spent time at the pantry, not replying to emails asap, etc.—an endless list of things,” the worker wrote.
Then, the situation escalated when the boss introduced the idea of mandatory donations to support a charity that purportedly helps displaced people in conflict zones overseas.
“He’s heavily involved with politics and so-called charities outside of SG,” the worker explained.
“He made it mandatory for everyone to donate at least 5-10% of their monthly salary every 2-3 months to the cause. He said it was going to PRCF and Red Crescent,” the worker added.
When HR stepped in and said the mandatory donations weren’t feasible, the boss retaliated with a campaign of harassment.
His boss went around each department and placed immense pressure on employees to donate to the cause.
“There was daily gaslighting, exclusion from meetings, spam email reminders, slack messages, etc. A lot gave in after 1-2 weeks just to go back to normal life,” he said.
Currently, the worker said that his department is being singled out for these donations, and his name is on the list of people expected to contribute.
However, he expressed no intention of doing so, as he has no idea who is running the overseas charity and is strongly against this cause.
“I’d have donated to a cause if it aligned with my beliefs, had a proven track record and was mainly located in Singapore,” he said.
“I am definitely never going to put a single cent into their hands,” he exclaimed.
When he asked the boss for proof, his boss explained that the company accountant held the “money to wire it to the charity later. He said he would provide proof by sending us the remittance receipt after everyone donates.”
“I am going to resist till the end and get fired. I don’t mind if this is all a scam, and he’s living off this,” he expressed.
“This is an extremely unethical practice”
In the Reddit thread, many Singaporean Redditors were also suspicious of the boss’s tactics.
While some understood that the boss might genuinely want to contribute to humanitarian aid, they felt pressuring everyone to donate to a cause that not everyone believes in was unprofessional.
One Redditor said, “Please report him. I work in a bank, and I also believe in giving back to the community, either through volunteer work or donations. However, there is no pressure, and our donations are tax-deductible.”
Another commented, “This is an extremely unethical practice. Even those paying charities overseas, I find this extremely unethical.”
Others offered suggestions on handling the situation, encouraging the worker to document everything and consider reporting the harassment to higher management or even external authorities if necessary.
One Redditor said, “You all donated, and he got the credit. All of you should collect all the evidence and mail it to the bank’s HQ. Make him lose his job.”
Ministry of Home Affairs’ warning
In January 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a statement warning against using Singapore for political campaigning or fundraising.
“Persons visiting, working, or living in Singapore should not use Singapore to conduct political campaigning or fundraising to further a political agenda overseas,” the MHA said.
If anyone notices a suspicious charity or fundraising event or has any concerns about it, they are encouraged to contact mccy_charities@mccy.gov.sg
Additionally, any suspicious transactions or suspected terrorist financing activities should be reported to the Suspicious Transactions Reporting Office (STRO) under the Commercial Affairs Department.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)