SINGAPORE: A frustrated local SME employee recently took to Reddit to ask whether it is really “too much to ask” for a workplace that is both supportive and genuinely invested in its employees’ growth these days.
Writing on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, the disheartened worker shared that she earns very little in her current role and has repeatedly been belittled by her supposedly “straightforward” supervisor.
She explained that her boss often hides behind the excuse of being honest while making harsh, cutting remarks, casually tossing out phrases such as “crappy work” and “wrong, all wrong” as though they were acceptable forms of feedback.
While she acknowledges that work is work and that she shouldn’t take everything to heart, she admitted that she longs for a workplace where the higher-ups are “supportive”, where teamwork actually exists, and where appreciation is shown consistently rather than occasionally.
She added that she has been trying to move on and even applied for another job, only to discover that the company she had been eyeing didn’t sound much better either.
“The way they described their environment sounded exactly like the same as my current one, except that their benefits, welfare, and personal development opportunities were way better. But I did not accept the offer because of how the environment sounded.”
“So it just makes me wonder—impatient bosses, negative words, working only to assist and meet the KPI of bosses—is this the reality of every job? Am I dreaming too much to expect a supportive yet development-investing kind of environment? Because everywhere, people are just getting scolded.”
“Work sucks everywhere.”
Rather than offering comfort, many in the comments section told her that this is simply the reality of working life and that she needs to learn to accept it if she hopes to succeed in her career.
One wrote, “Time to be real with you. Most workplaces, especially Singapore SME environments, are more direct and less ‘supportive’ than school. Your supervisor’s bluntness is standard feedback in SMEs. This isn’t personal, by the way, SMEs don’t have time to waffle around. If you’re expecting constant appreciation and verbal support, you need to find a therapist, not a new job.”
Another said, “SME is always like that, not enough resources to make work worth it. Work sucks everywhere. Might as well make sure you’re comfortable while doing it.”
A third advised, “Having worked in SMEs and MNCs, unfortunately, yes, the environment will become sick with sick people. Go in with your own objective, $ + that experience, then advance forward. If you can’t advance upwards, you move out then. Always place your own objective as the foremost.”
A fourth added, “Put it this way, there will still be nice and good people around. Ideally, I wish everywhere could be that way. That doesn’t mean there’s no such environment.”
“Just bear in mind there will always be sick people in every environment. I hope you will find an ideal environment which is less toxic.”
In other news, a 22-year-old man recently shared on social media that he is starting to “resent his girlfriend a little” because she expects him to “pay for her and take care of her in a way where she doesn’t need to pay anything” in the future.
In his post on the r/sgdatingscene subreddit, the man, who is currently serving in the army and earns between S$1,200 and S$1,700 a month, explained that, although he and his girlfriend split the cost of their meals, he is usually the one covering most of their other expenses.
He said he often pays for their “snacks, drinks, and movie tickets” and regularly buys her gifts simply because it “genuinely makes him happy.”
However, his girlfriend, who does not appear to be satisfied with this arrangement, has started hinting that she expects him to eventually take full financial responsibility once he begins working full-time.
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