SG worker says they work hard until fall sick; still work from home, OT for free, yet their boss accuses them of taking too many MCs

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker couldn’t help but feel exasperated when his boss accused him and his colleagues of taking too many medical leaves, completely overlooking the fact that their relentless hard work had driven them to exhaustion and illness in the first place.

“During our peak periods, we work until we fall sick because we are so exhausted. But even when we’re on MC (medical leave), most of us are still working at home, simply because the people covering for us are too busy with their own projects,” he explained.

“We all work hard for the company, we even OT (for free) on weekends.”

However, instead of appreciating their dedication, his boss decided to fuss over their leave days. The team was stunned, especially since they’d only used 6-7 out of their 14 allotted medical leave days.

“On a normal day, all of us get along well with the boss… we thought he understood our workload and struggles and efforts for the company, but now we feel that our effort is unappreciated. Are we being unreasonable to feel this way?”

“What advice would you give for this situation? Is it reasonable for our boss to say we have an attendance problem when we are getting sick due to a lack of manpower?”

“Work less. Enough to do your job 100% and no more.”

Many netizens empathized with the worker’s frustration and expressed that the boss’s accusations were unfair and shortsighted. They pointed out that the workers had every right to take medical leave, especially given the long hours and excessive workload they had been handling.

One netizen remarked, “If he has the cheek to make a fuss about your MCs then you should mention all the hours you’ve worked for FREE for the company….I am sure it far exceeds the days you’ve taken MC.”

Another commented, “I dislike this type of bosses. I’m willing to work hard normally and I make sure all my tasks get done well, but once he starts making noise about minor matters instead of judging my work by the results I produce, I’m halfway out the door.”

Several netizens also urged the worker to stop ‘working so hard’ for a company that doesn’t care about his well-being.

One netizen shared, “Work less. Enough to do your job 100% and no more. It isn’t your company, they can fire and replace you in a month. All that extra work coming in does not mean they should feel gratitude towards you, it’s just free work for them.

They didn’t ask you to do it, so why should they feel indebted to you? Anyway that’s how the companies think.”

Another told him, “Not here to stop you from changing your career, just remember this saying: At the end of your career the only people who will remember your OT is your wife and kids.

Sometimes you need to OT a bit to push out the thing, but sometimes you need to know you work to live, not live to work.”

Read also: No S$4K starting salary? — SG fresh grad asks after seeing S$3.2K job offers, contrary to salary survey stating “25th percentile was already S$4K”

Featured image by Depositphotos