Abit of Tuesday morning reflection because I just drank my Kopi C Siew Dai and saw one of my team members looking like he haven’t slept since 2024.
Let me ask you all a serious question: Why you all work so hard for people’s business? Unless your name is on the ACRA biz profile, or the company belongs to your father (and you are inheriting it), ple ase relak half corner.
I see so many fresh grads and even mid-career uncles working until 10 PM, replying Slack messages on Saturday during family dinner, and treating their KPIs like it’s the Ten Commandments. For what? You think at the end of the year, the CEO will come down from the 48th floor, hug you, and say, “Thank you, Ah Huat, because of your sacrifice, I can buy another G-Wagon”? No, right?
Let me give you a reality check. When times are bad—and looking at the economy now, times are always “bad”—the HR department doesn’t care if you are the “Top Performer 2025” or if you have been there since the company was a startup in a shophouse. When the board of directors say “Eh, we need to cut cost by 20%,” you are just a row on an Excel sheet.
The Brutal Truth: You think you are “irreplaceable”? Bro, if you drop dead tomorrow, your job posting will be on LinkedIn before your obituary is in the Straits Times. Your boss will say “such a tragedy” during the town hall, ask for 1 minute of silence, and then immediately ask who can cover your workload.
They will retrench you straight, no eyes see. Your loyalty? Worthless. Your 10 years of service? Here is 2 months’ severance pay and a generic testimonial letter. Bye-bye, please return your access card by 4 PM.
So please, just do the bare minimum. I’m not saying go cheat your company or do a terrible job until you get fired on the spot. Just do exactly what is stated in your employment contract. If your contract says 9 AM to 6 PM, then at 6:01 PM, you should be at the MRT gantry already.
Act blur live longer, do normal work get normal pay. Save your energy, go gym, go spend time with your family, or go think of a side hustle. Don’t sell your soul to a MNC that will replace you with an AI bot or an offshore team the moment the profit margin drops by 1%.
Work is just a transaction: they pay money, you give time. Don’t go give your life also. Agree or not?