SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker got a harsh dose of corporate politics when her colleagues turned on her after she got promoted.
“Everyday I feel so wronged and upset. What did I even do to make them do all these to me? I feel like I’m burnt out already. Sigh. Adulting sucks,” she wrote on the NUSWhispers Facebook page on Wednesday (Jun 19).
In her post, the worker explained that she had diligently taken on a lot of responsibilities during her two years at the company, which led to her getting promoted.
Although she was thrilled that her hard work had finally been acknowledged, things took a turn for the worse as her colleagues in the department became resentful of her promotion.
“I’m the youngest and with the least experience, however I was the only one who got promoted,” she said.
She mentioned that things began to go south when one of her colleagues, who had been with the company for a year longer and had a similar role, started spreading rumors about her that weren’t true.
“[That colleague] did not get promoted nor get a good pay incremental. She was really really unhappy about it and she made up a lot of stories about me and tried to bring me down.”
Unfortunately, many people at her workplace believed her colleague, with her entire department turning against her.
She said, “I have done nothing wrong and I did no one dirty. All I did was work, and perhaps too good at my job to get promoted first and someone is salty about it.”
Before her promotion, she had described her work environment as “manageable” and enjoyable due to its fun atmosphere. However, since being promoted and experiencing the backlash from her colleagues, her life has taken a difficult turn. She now feels ostracized and isolated, with work becoming a source of torture rather than enjoyment.
“Is it time for me to leave the company? I enjoyed my job and I really liked my colleagues before they all turned against me. This is my first full time job and I’m really surprised by how politics is so influential in the company.”
“Your colleagues are not your friends, the purpose of work is mainly to get things done and get your salary.”
In the comments section, many advised the worker to stay at her job and face the problems head-on. They said that quitting will not help her learn anything, and that she’d probably run into the same office politics at any other company.
One netizen wondered why her colleagues were aware of her salary and then shared a general rule of thumb: Never disclose salary increases to others.
He stated that if she had communicated to her colleagues that despite the promotion, her salary remained unchanged, they might have been supportive because she was taking on more responsibilities without a pay raise.
Another netizen said, “Your colleagues are not your friends, the purpose of work is mainly to get things done and get your salary. My take is just to be professional, act normal and get tasks done. Stay professional ya.”
Some also proposed seeking revenge on her colleagues by making their lives more difficult and pushing them to resign instead.
On the contrary, some netizens weren’t fully convinced by the worker’s story. They hinted that there might be more to it than what was shared, suggesting that maybe the worker did something to rub her colleagues the wrong way and trigger such negative feelings.
One netizen said, “Nice story until the part when you self praise “Perhaps too good at your job” LMAO. Probably something to do with how you treat others, or your EQ. Hope you can find a better offer somewhere if you really unhappy.”
Another commenter pointed out that the worker’s post seemed biased, focusing on painting her colleagues in a negative light by using terms like ‘salty’ to describe them.
She also explained that the worker appeared to be showing off by mentioning that she is the youngest and got promoted the fastest. In her view, the worker’s choice of words alone revealed that she has an egoistic character, which might explain why her colleagues weren’t supportive of her promotion.
She said, “Your own post tells so much about your character. You go anywhere and also end up the same. Take care.”
Featured image by Depositphotos