Singapore worker says company asked him to resign, not terminate him: ‘It’s just eating me up inside’

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker has shared his distress after his company asked him to resign instead of formally terminating him, leaving him unsure whether he is suited to corporate life at all.

Writing on the r/singaporejobs subreddit, the worker said he learned of the news last week and has been struggling to come to terms with it since.

“I don't even know what to do now, and I'm just questioning if corporate life is even meant for me now,” he wrote.

“My HR and boss said it's not a termination. They explicitly told me to just resign so that I can better protect myself. It's just eating me up inside, honestly. They told me that I must resign by November. That's the maximum amount of time they can [give] me.”

He also explained that his current job scope had originally been earmarked for a senior executive to take over. However, after the company found out that the senior executive would be resigning, management opted to hire an assistant manager instead.

The new assistant manager would reportedly absorb both the senior executive's duties and the worker's existing responsibilities.

He said he had been consumed by negative thoughts since learning of the company's plans, especially because he felt he could not meet the standards expected of an assistant manager.

“I just feel incapable because I've lasted in this job for 1 year plus already. But yet, to me, I still couldn't keep up, and they need to replace me with an AM-level.”

‘Don’t take it personally’

Many commenters sympathised with the worker and tried to reassure him that being asked to resign did not necessarily mean he had failed professionally.

Some pointed out that if the company was already determined to replace his role, he could use the remaining time to look for another job rather than dwell on what had happened.

One commenter wrote: “Don't take it personally. It’s a business decision. Start applying right away, don't think of taking a break first. The job market is so bad you'll likely be on forced break for a while anyway.”

Another said there were still some positives he could take from the situation. “Bro, two positive elements to this. First, you resigning looks better on your CV than them failing your probation / firing you. Second, the job scope is probably too tough for a fresh grad (I presume) like you. So it's not all your fault.”

A third told him, “It is what it is. Just start serving your notice and start looking for a job. It sucks, but life continues as an adult. All the best!”

On the other hand, several users urged him to seek clarity on why the company wanted him to leave and to think twice before agreeing to resign.

One commenter warned: “Do not resign. If they did not give you clear indication along the way of what was wrong and how you can improve, then you have a case against your employer for not giving you proper documented feedback and notice to improve.”

Another said, “In my opinion, it would be good to know why they asked you to resign so you can get some closure and learn from the experience. Also if it is a performance issue, any decent company/manager would have had a chat with you about it so that you can improve from there. All the best to you, and hope everything works out in your favour in the long run.”/TISG

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