SINGAPORE: One Singaporean worker took to social media to share that his supervisor has been excessively micromanaging him for the past two years.
Posting on the ‘Ask Singapore’ Reddit forum on Monday (Mar 10), he provided some context about his work, explaining:
“I have been working in the same office job for over four years. During this time, I have been moved around multiple times and had different superiors, with the current one (over two years) being the worst by far,” he wrote.
“I have been performing decently or above average in terms of work, so I have received no complaints whatsoever for nearly my entire time here. But for some reason, my supervisor seems to want to find a bone to pick with me, and (I think) with a lack of options, she chose my breaks,” he added.
The worker described how his supervisor started paying close attention to his daily routine, questioning how often he steps away from his desk, how long he takes, and even why he leaves the office after lunch.
“Lunch breaks are one hour long, so I finish my food, chat with colleagues and wash up within 35 minutes so that I can go out for a 15-20 minute walk before going back to my desk,” he wrote.
“So one time, my supervisor actually asked me ‘Why are you still leaving the office after already having your lunch? (Colleague) already go back to work, you know,’ when I came back from my walk. Surprised by the question, I just responded with ‘Went to get a drink.’ then went back to my desk.”
Even his hydration habits did not escape his supervisor’s attention. Drinking around three litres of water daily, he naturally made more trips to the toilet and pantry than his colleagues. However, his supervisor raised this in a team meeting, questioning how frequently employees should be taking such breaks.
“My supervisor asked during a team meeting, ‘On average, how many toilet or pantry visits does everyone need a day?’ Thinking it was a joke, everyone had their own answer to it. But she singled me out, saying she had noticed I was taking far more of these ‘breaks’ than everyone else and that I should take note of it.
I responded jokingly, saying, ‘I drink a lot of water and like to stay hydrated’, then asked the room whether their pee colour was clear or yellow, which was met with a resounding yellow and laughter. Our team lead (big boss) then ended the topic by saying that maybe everyone else should start drinking more water.”
His afternoon break also became an issue. After quitting smoking, he continued stepping out with his smoke buddy but only to buy fruit, with the break lasting around 10-15 minutes. However, once his supervisor discovered he had quit, she questioned why he was still taking these breaks, emphasising that they were only permitted for smoking, not for buying or eating fruit.
“From then, I’ve been buying my fruit during lunch and eating it around 3:30 or asking my friend to buy it for me instead,” he continued. “Now, I don’t really care about ‘handling’ this matter per se since I’ve already been making plans to leave, but does anyone have similar experiences, or how would you go about this?” he asked.
“Time to look for a new job…”
In the comments, many criticised his supervisor for being overly controlling and fixating on trivial matters. One said, “I don’t understand why the superior has to care about such stupid stuff. [The] most important thing is to get the work done, right?”
Another commented, “Sounds like a loser of a superior. What you do within that lunch hour is none of her business. Tell her it’s still lunch hour, and you will be back on time.”
A third suggested, “Just engage in malicious compliance and be an exceptionally good worker. Update her on everything—literally everything. Start of lunch break? Update. Finished with lunch? Update. Right on the dot. Going for any break, be it pantry or toilet? Update her as well.”
A fourth remarked, “Time to look for a new job.”
As per the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employees are entitled to breaks if they work continuously for more than six hours. If their shift requires them to work for eight hours straight, they must be given a meal break of at least 45 minutes. These breaks are meant to ensure that employees have enough time to rest, recharge, and maintain productivity throughout the day.
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Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)