Foreign worker questions Singapore work culture after stressful first job

A foreign worker who recently started his first graduate job in Singapore has questioned whether the city-state’s workplace culture is particularly demanding after describing an allegedly difficult work environment that he says has affected both his mental and physical wellbeing.

The worker shared his experience on Reddit platform, asking whether locals and expatriates generally find Singapore’s work culture challenging or whether he had simply joined a particularly difficult workplace.

He said he did not grow up in Asia but has family connections to Singapore, had previously spent extended periods in the country and studied at the National University of Singapore (NUS). He also had several years of office experience during university, which he said had prepared him for challenging work environments.

However, he described his current workplace as significantly more difficult. “My assigned mentor just dumps her workload on me,” he wrote, alleging that the team regularly works weekends without additional pay, with employees instead allowed to leave early on certain weekdays.

He also said that as a new employee, he often needs to ask questions about procedures but receives little guidance from his mentor.

“If I ask a question, I get shut down with, ‘What do you think?’ or ‘Figure it out yourself.’ I’m new, so obviously I need to ask things,” he wrote.

The worker said this was particularly concerning because his field involves strict legal and ethical procedures, meaning he cannot simply make assumptions when dealing with work-related issues.

He also alleged that his mentor was dismissive when he struggled with clients and did not offer assistance. According to his account, her behaviour changed when senior management was present, when she became more cordial and engaged.

The worker said he had also experienced difficulties with members of the wider leadership team, describing their management style as frequently disrespectful. He added that other colleagues had privately shared their own concerns about their experiences with management.

Despite these difficulties, the worker said he initially tried to accept the situation as part of working life. “I told myself to just suck it up since work is work and life is not all smooth sailing. But there has to be a limit,” he wrote.

The worker said the stress had also coincided with physical symptoms that he had not previously experienced. He claimed that he had developed full-body hives and rashes, along with episodes of facial and lip swelling, and said doctors had not identified a medical explanation.

“The stress is literally making me sick,” he wrote.

Several Redditors responding to the post pushed back against the idea that such conditions were simply part of working in Singapore. One commenter said the problem appeared to be specific to the company rather than the country, adding that employees could otherwise become accustomed to poor working conditions if they accepted the idea that they simply had to tolerate them.

Another commenter said the situation appeared to be significantly affecting the worker’s mental and physical health and advised him to consider finding another job.

The worker replied that he was already considering leaving but said finding another position in the current economy would not be easy. He added that it had taken him considerable time to secure his current job.

Some commenters also shared their own experiences of workplace stress and physical symptoms. One Redditor said they had experienced chronic hives for years before recognising a possible link with periods of stress and said the symptoms eventually disappeared after their mental health improved.

Another commenter said they had experienced hives during particularly stressful periods at previous jobs, including situations where colleagues left and additional work was transferred to remaining employees without additional compensation or support.

That commenter said they eventually moved to another workplace but noted that finding a healthy work environment could be difficult, particularly when organisations are frequently hiring to replace employees who have left.

The responses therefore largely framed the worker’s experience as an issue with a particular employer rather than evidence that Singapore’s workplaces generally operate in the same way.

At the same time, the discussion highlighted concerns around workplace stress, managerial support, workload, compensation, job mobility and the difficulty some employees face when trying to leave an unhealthy work environment.

The post illustrates how workplace culture and management practices can shape employees’ experiences, particularly for early-career workers navigating their first full-time role.