Degree holder who earns S$2,400 but holds multiple roles at work asks if the SME they work for is ‘too toxic’

SINGAPORE: A person working in an SME took to Reddit to describe their conditions and asked whether they were normal or “too toxic.”

In his post on r/askSingapore, u/lattehour also wondered if it’s time to find a new job.

At present, they fill a range of roles for the company, such as admin, accounting, courier duties, procurement and coordination. They have a four-day work week with seven days of annual leave. Twice a week, they are required to work overtime, and they need to be contactable even on their days off or when they are on medical leave.

When their work requires them to travel outside the office to collect or deliver articles to clients and vendors, they receive no reimbursement for public transportation expenses.

After the first year at the SME, they received no pay increment, AWS, or bonus, and for the second year, they got S$10 as ang pao during the Chinese New Year holidays, plus one more leave day.

Their current salary is S$2,400, and their official title is Business Operations/ Project Coordinator. They also have a degree in business management.

“Is it time to jump? What if the grass isn’t actually greener on the other side? Would appreciate any advice, especially anyone who has been through something like this or even worse,” they asked.

Everyone who commented on the post affirmed what the post author was already feeling: that the company is full of red flags and is indeed a toxic one.

In the most upvoted comment, a Reddit user listed why.

“1. You get paid for four days but work OT, so you kinda end up working a normal working week and maybe even more.

“2. You pay with your own money to do travel for work (which is illegal according to the Employment Act because salary can NEVER include travel allowances).

“3. After your first year, you get no increase, which, after inflation, means you are getting paid less.

“4. You get seven days AL, which is no benefit but rather the legal baseline set by MOM. Same with the +1 AL after one year. It is not a benefit; it is a legal requirement.

“5. You do not have a clear job profile and therefore will never be able to develop and have a real career.

“6. Just the fact that you need to list a $10 and pao as part of your annual rewards means there are no real rewards.”

And when another commenter weighed in with “At this point, any patch of grass anywhere else is greener than yours…. You already know what to do!” the post author replied, “Thank you, I just needed a push.” /TISG

Read also: SME boss complains about hiring fresh grads — ends up getting schooled by Reddit instead