Singaporean man wants to quit without next job lined up, but others tell him he has options

SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old man in Singapore recently took to Reddit to ask for advice on whether he should leave his current job, which he finds quite difficult, even though he doesn’t have the next one lined up quite yet.

In a post on r/askSingapore on Saturday (May 10), u/Flashy_Quail2408 explained that he has been in his job for eight months now and then listed why he wants to call it a day.

First, he wrote that even when he is on holiday, he finds himself constantly thinking about work, which prevents him from enjoying himself. Next, he added that because of the amount of overtime he is asked to do, he can no longer enjoy his side hustles.

He added that he also has no time to work out the days and continuously feels stressed and tired. In addition to this, he is losing a lot of hair, which is known to be a side effect of stress.

Moreover, he wrote that he makes a lot of mistakes at work, which leads his colleagues to “badmouth” his performance.

“I’m really overworked, burned out and OT-ing everyday even during the weekends. I’m not sure how I can handle this anymore,” he added before asking Reddit users if he should tough it out or quit without a job in line. In an edit to the post, he wrote that he has neither a mortgage nor debts and that his savings can tide him over for at least one year.

Many commenters offered wise advice for him, starting by reassuring him that the situation is not binary and that he has options between staying unhappy at his job and quitting without the security of a new position.

A commenter in a similar situation advised him to talk to his superior about reducing his workload and implementing more nuanced deadlines, adding, “Not everything is urgent.”

They also urged the post author to take a day off every two or three weeks. “Build rest into your schedule before work and other commitments leave you with no room for rest.”

When the post author is off work, he should also not check emails or take calls, and in case their allowed number of leaves is already up, they can apply for unpaid leave, which would give them time off to breathe.

If necessary, the post author could also apply to have his work reduced to part-time status.

“Speak to your household before you tender your resignation or cut hours. See how they can up their support,” the commenter wrote, adding that the advice they gave “will give you space to recharge (exercise, eat healthily, meditate, engage in hobbies, socialise, etc.) for a bit and hopefully, time and energy to hunt for a job.” /TISG

Read also: ‘At my wits’ end’ — 30-ish Singaporean struggles to find job after 1.5 years of being unemployed