'Well paid, zero work': Employee says he was 'quiet-fired' into a do-nothing role - Singapore News
· The IndependentSINGAPORE: Stories of employees being “quiet-fired” by being sidelined instead of formally dismissed have become increasingly common on social media.
One such case recently surfaced on Reddit, where a Singaporean employee earning a five-figure monthly salary claimed he was “sidelined into a do-nothing” role after a change in the company’s leadership.
He explained that his direct female boss had never liked him, so after the company’s CEO left more than a year ago, she shut down the division he had been leading and moved him into a newly created role, effectively placing him in “cold storage.”
In his new position, he said he had “zero influence, almost no actual work,” and went from being two levels below the CEO to effectively three.
Although his salary remained the same, he admitted he “hated the role” and spent each workday “pretending to look busy” in the company’s open-concept office.
New CEO reinstates division
The employee said things appeared to change earlier this year when a new CEO joined the company and questioned why his division had been shut down.
According to him, the division was eventually reinstated, but instead of being given his old position back, his ex-boss hired an external candidate to lead it.
“My ex-boss then hired an external guy to run it, someone who, for lack of better words, isn’t all that competent.”
“He keeps coming to me for help. Sometimes I help out of sheer boredom, but I’m starting to feel I shouldn’t be propping him up for free.”
I can’t get out
Despite feeling increasingly demoralised by the lack of meaningful work, the employee said quitting is not an option because of the weak job market and his financial commitments.
“I have bills to pay, so rage quitting isn’t an option,” he wrote.
For now, he said he sees three possible options: continue collecting his paycheck while quietly searching for another job, stop helping the new manager and let him fail visibly, or find a way to get on the new CEO’s radar since the CEO appeared to recognise the value of the division he had built.
Seeking advice from fellow Reddit users, he asked, “What would you do? Especially interested in hearing from anyone who’s been ‘quiet-fired’ into a shelf role and came out the other side.”
“Find a chance to talk to the new CEO”
In the comments, most Reddit users encouraged the employee to find a way to get on the new CEO’s radar, saying it was his best chance of turning the situation around.
One wrote, “The biggest thing you can do now is to speak directly with your CEO. If you’re afraid of hierarchy etc. all the more reason why you should speak to him.”
“If you’re intimidated, find a less formal setting. For eg. Have a 1:1 with him for lunch or for a coffee break. Find whatever excuse to do this, even like ‘Hey I realized I never properly spoke to you or had lunch with you, wanna go X this week?’”
Another commented, “Find a chance to talk to the new CEO, explain to him your situation, prepare a slide on your achievements, reason why you are on bench, make it clear but diplomatic enough. Surely it will be 50-50 but take your shot if you are confident.”
A third added, “Do Option 1 and 3? Also use that extra time to do your side-hustle or whatever you want to do.”
Meanwhile, some warned him that if he does not take action, the management may eventually view him as expendable and decide to dismiss him.
One said, “You are going to be fired soon if you do nothing politically to justify your employment.”
In other news, a fresh graduate admitted on social media that they have been struggling to come to terms with being rejected for a role they desperately wanted after making it all the way to the final interview stage.
Posting on the r/singaporejobs forum, the graduate, who studied at one of Singapore’s Big 3 universities, said they had barely been able to “eat or sleep” since receiving the rejection.
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