SINGAPORE: While some bosses are abandoning the hustle culture and encouraging their employees to take time off work, one employee revealed on social media that his current bosses are quite the opposite.
In a post on the subreddit r/askSingapore, the employee revealed that whenever he attempted to take a public holiday or use his well-deserved annual leave, his bosses would subtly yet unmistakably make him feel guilty.
He expressed, “It’s as if stepping away to recharge is a crime, leaving me feeling trapped and anxious even on my days off. This constant pressure is taking a toll on my mental health, making it hard to find peace even during supposed breaks.”
He described it as heartbreaking and exhausting to work under such conditions and wondered if others felt the same: “Does anyone else feel like they can never truly escape work? I can’t help but wonder, am I alone in this?”
“How do you all handle the pressure and guilt in your workplaces?”
“Understand that your company will not collapse when you’re not around, or when you don’t answer emails after work”
In the comments section of the thread, one Singaporean Redditor explained that the meaning of work-life balance is different for everyone.
Gen-Z workers may define it as sticking to 9 am-6 am hours, while senior employees might accept overtime during the week but not on weekends.
Others may be okay with intensive workloads as long as their days off are respected without interruptions.
The Redditor then stated that it was critical for the employee to define “work-life balance” for himself and that once he has done so, he should set boundaries and try to drown out his coworkers’ opinions, as well as not take what his bosses say about his boundaries too seriously.
This way, he won’t feel guilty about taking time off.
Another Redditor also reminded him, “Understand that your company will not collapse when you’re not around, or when you don’t answer emails after work. You’re not that important.”
A third Redditor chimed in, writing, “Set reasonable boundaries and learn how to say no to unreasonable requests.
Have confidence in your own abilities and quality of work output and don’t let people guilt grip you into thinking that working fewer hours means you’re a bad employee.”
On the other hand, a few Redditors advised him to look for a new job if the work environment and bosses had become so toxic that it was affecting his mental health.
One Redditor stated, “What are you still there? Should leave asap.”
While another commented, “Find a new job if your boss cant even let you have peaceful off days.”
57% of Singaporeans feel guilty taking a break from work
According to a 2019 study by Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC), 57% of Singaporeans feel the same way as the Redditor above—that is, they’d all love to take a break from work but feel guilty doing so.
Dr Tan Ern Ser, Associate Professor of Sociology at the National University of Singapore (NUS), explained that this guilt stems from their false belief that they must always work hard in order to feel productive and valued at work.
“We often feel that if we take our foot off the pedal, we would be evaluated negatively, which would affect our standing in the competitive workplace,” Dr. Tan said to The Singapore Women’s Weekly.
As a result of not taking breaks, Singaporeans have emerged as the world’s most burnt-out employees.
In fact, according to one of the articles published by Singapore Business Review in 2019, Singapore was the world’s second most overworked city, trailing only Tokyo, Japan.
To prevent burnout, Dr Tan strongly advises Singaporeans to take more breaks, not only for themselves but also for the company.
He explained that, contrary to popular belief, not taking a leave is actually bad for business because sustained mental focus without breaks depletes energy and therefore results in poor performance and decision-making.
So, how can one overcome the guilt of taking a break?
Thriveworks, a therapy platform focusing on mental healthcare, suggests several steps. First, identify the root causes of stress and guilt. Next, remind oneself of the importance of breaks for mental health and overall productivity.
Finally, take action by allowing oneself to take time off without guilt.
As Emily Simonian, head therapist at Thriveworks, stated, “The best way to move through feelings of guilt and stress about taking a day off… is to take a day off!”
Featured image by Depositphotos