SINGAPORE: A 33-year-old woman who earns S$14,000 monthly recently took to r/singaporefi to share that she wants to resign due to health issues. However, her husband is against this idea because he believes it would pose a ‘financial risk.’
In her post, she disclosed that she was diagnosed with cancer last year and underwent major surgery, resulting in various side effects, such as gut and digestive issues and chronic nerve pain.
“This has made it difficult to perform at my job, which requires regular travel. I haven’t been able to travel since my diagnosis, and while my manager has been understanding, I feel that his tolerance will run out at some point.”
Furthermore, her digestive issues required her to follow a strict homemade diet, which added an additional challenge as she woke up earlier to prepare her meals in advance for the day.
“We own a condo with an outstanding loan of $678k at 3% interest. We have no kids. My husband is a foreigner and depends on an LTVP that I sponsor.”
“…my husband makes $10k of which $8.7 is basic and the rest commission. I feel like we’re in a good place to survive on his salary, there are plenty of families in SG who get by on less.
The difference is that we have the added risk of huge bills if I relapse. I don’t have the best health insurance so quitting my job would mean losing the coverage my company provides… I have $450k in fixed deposits.”
She then asked, “Can I afford to stop working? What would be the advice here? Is there a way for me to invest safely, with higher returns?”
“I would rather you rest and come back to work when you are ready”
Singaporean Redditors showered the woman with praise, support, and encouragement in the comments section. They were amazed at her resilience and that she returned to work less than a year after her treatment.
Many of them also offered advice. Some people supported her decision to quit her job and prioritize her health, while others suggested she request a sabbatical, allowing her to take time off without resigning permanently.
One of them shared, “Can’t you apply for a sabbatical? My wife got stage 2 breast cancer last year and she decided to quit her job in January which leaves me the sole breadwinner, and she has zero savings but luckily for us, I never depended on her financially and we have a 3 year old.
I would rather you rest and come back to work when you are ready.”
A few Redditors added that she could also explore opportunities within her company for a role change that would enable her to work from home permanently.
On the other hand, some criticized her husband for not allowing her to resign.
One Redditor said, “You could. You have a very manageable loan between you and your husband. Your husband’s own salary could cover the loan easily. You can depend on your own savings for your own upkeep.
Your husband’s reaction is a red flag to me.”
However, some defended the husband, arguing that because the woman was at a high risk of relapsing, the insurance her work provided was essential in this particular situation.
One explained, “Let’s not assume the worse of OP’s husband. I remember her from an old post and she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. 1 in 3 women will relapse within 3 years.
OP herself has mentioned she has limited insurance coverage with most of it covered by her company.
Idk about you, but I would be scared to death if my partner had cancer and even after depleting all our savings we still run into financial difficulty to get treatment.
Before you say no way cancer treatment is that expensive, it is unfortunately the case and newer drugs that are used off label are often not covered by insurance (even when patients are insured).”
Read also: ‘My husband won’t let me quit my job even though I’m in pain’ — Woman seeks advice
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