SME WORKERS SAY THEY ARE MADE TO DO THINGS OUTSIDE JOB SCOPE & OVERWORKED

Those who are working/ have worked in SMEs, is it really that bad?

Have long heard of the bad rap for local SMEs. Not generalizing all but if these points are brought up time and again, it must be happening in most companies.

Most common complaints I heard are being underpaid (sometimes way below the market rate), poor career profession, lack of opportunities, poor work life balance, being asked to take on multiple job scopes unrelated to your job, overworked (due to them cutting and saving on manpower) etc

Those who are working or have worked in SMEs, are these really true?

Netizens’ comment

1. Worked with SME for 3 years. What I can say is SME you have to see luck also.
   But expect to do work beyond your job scope and still be paid the same. So example you’re hired as technician but you still be roped into issuing invoices to client or handle back end paper work for audit etc.
   But there are perks. Like example promotion based on your skills. Me for example I have a technical diploma and was initially working as a technician. But through ad-hoc activities I’ve done for the company we found out I’m quite good with operations and paper work. So I was promoted to do back end sales and operations with some pay bump. Something that I can’t see happening in MNC unless you have an degree education popping out of nowhere for the new role.
2. Worked in an SME, engineer. Was told to go to their home to fix their penthouse automatic blinds. Lol
3. I interned in an SME.
   Yes, it’s really that shit.
   As one of the only 2 other male interns (or even Jnr exec), I had to always help out with the more physical work including shifting tables, climbing to fix bulbs and whatever nonsense.
   When I extended to wait for Poly placement, I suddenly found myself doing work from MY department, as well as getting stretched to other departments because of pure incompetence from the execs, and also how work gets passed around like tiki taka football, Manager delegate to Snr Exec, Snr Exec pass to Exec, Exec pass back to Snr Exec, pass back and forth, sit on it, then kena Interns when few days before deadline.
   So I was literally stretched to my limits like Mr. Fantastic, I even had to OT until 9PM on multiple occasions.
   The environment is also damn toxic, ants like to gang up together and start picking on others, then they KPKB when we retaliate and they themselves kena.
   The only saving grace was that the Upper Mgmt was competent and worked to resolve such nonsense.
   I’m never returning to an SME again.