Employee ‘stuck in a company that runs like it’s still the 1980s’ admits he’s now just coasting through work

SINGAPORE: An employee recently shared on social media that he feels “stuck in a company that runs like it’s still the 1980s.”

Detailing his experience on Reddit’s r/askSingapore forum, he explained that he had recently joined a family-owned listed company, only to find the work culture outdated and, in his words, “toxic.”

“The CEO is overly demanding, which sets the tone for everyone else, the General Manager (GM) included.” As a result, he said the environment has become so stifling that only employees in their 50s seem able to endure it, while younger staff typically leave within one to two years. 

He also noted that the company is notoriously slow at backfilling roles, recalling that he was only hired “six months” after his predecessor left. 

“During that time, another colleague had to cover the role and ended up completely burnt out,” he wrote.

The employee also admitted that he only accepted the job because it offered a higher salary than his previous role. However, after experiencing the toxic environment firsthand, he now regrets his decision.

He further shared that these days, he has resorted to doing only the bare minimum. “[I’m now] doing only my job scope, submitting work at the last possible minute, replying ‘noted’ to scoldings, starting and finishing work on the dot,” he wrote.

“[I’m also] cutting off completely after hours, forgetting about promotions or bonuses, and just collecting my paycheck until I hit the one- to two-year mark.”

“If you really hate it, don’t wait 1–2 years.”

In the comments, several Singaporean Redditors weighed in with advice for the employee, with most agreeing that leaving the job was the best course of action.

One user wrote, “I always tell people who regret joining a company this: ‘If you get on the wrong train, get off at the first stop. The longer you stay, the more costly the return trip becomes. Trust your thinking. There’s no such thing as ‘maybe if I change my mindset, things will get better.’ It won’t. For most people, mindset is fixed.”

Another commented, “If you really hate it, don’t wait one to two years. You should seek new opportunities to leave now. Why waste years of your life if you can leave?”

A third said, “Just do the bare minimum but stay out of trouble. Look for a new job in the meantime.”

Meanwhile, a fourth offered a more unconventional and slightly vengeful suggestion: “Quit your job ASAP, buy one lot of shares (100 shares) of the company, attend their next AGM and grill them lol.”

In other news, a 28-year-old local has confessed on social media that he is on the verge of giving up on his career in UI/UX design after more than a year of job hunting.

Posting on Reddit’s singaporefi forum on Wednesday (Aug 13), he explained that, aside from the fact that the industry feels “completely saturated,” most companies seem to be hiring only for senior roles that demand years of experience—positions that, in his view, “no one can realistically fulfil.”

Read more: ‘I’m exhausted’: Local UI/UX designer on the brink of giving up after a year-long job hunt