SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employee has sparked widespread on-line dialogue after sharing an unsettling office dilemma: Their supervisor has been repeatedly calling and texting employees late at night time to borrow cash, leaving them in an uncomfortable and doubtlessly dangerous place.
Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit neighborhood discussion board, the employees member defined that each he and a colleague — “the one Singaporeans within the staff” — had been caught off guard when their supervisor first requested to borrow cash in December final month.
“My supervisor has been asking to borrow cash just lately from my colleague and me,” the employees wrote. “We had been fairly shocked when he first requested as a result of this has by no means occurred earlier than previously yr that we’ve got been working right here.”
“My supervisor messaged me late at night time asking to borrow S$1K…”
The employees member stated the supervisor had typically been “fairly good and versatile,” supportive at work, and attentive to their well-being, however on Dec 23, issues took a flip.
“My supervisor messaged me late at night time asking to borrow $1K, stating it’s for his pal,” the employees stated. After discussing it with a colleague, the employees determined to lend the cash. The supervisor did repay the S$1,000 on time by the tip of the month.
The reimbursement, nonetheless, turned out to be just the start.
“He began spam calling and texting my colleague asking to borrow one other S$1K…”
In January this yr, the supervisor started “spam calling and texting” the colleague, asking to borrow one other S$1,000; this time claiming it was “pressing for his pal’s surgical procedure.” When she refused, saying she solely had sufficient for her personal wants, the supervisor lowered the request.
“He then requested for S$500 as a substitute, stating it’s vital. She nonetheless stated no.” Shortly after, the supervisor contacted the opposite employees once more, asking to borrow one other S$1,000 — now for “his pal’s mum’s surgical procedure.” This time, the reply was additionally no.
“I informed him no this time, stating that I’ve issues I’m saving for this yr,” the employees member wrote. After each refusals, the supervisor stopped responding to them altogether.
“Is that this even allowed? Ought to we report this to HR?”
What troubled the 2 staff greater than the cash was the ability imbalance.
“We really feel actually uncomfortable about this as a result of he’s our supervisor, the one who writes our value determinations and offers us duties, and so forth.,” the involved employees stated. “Like now, we’re pondering, will he begin treating us otherwise since we don’t lend him cash?”
The employees member described the scenario as “extraordinarily unprofessional” and admitted they felt pressured. Complicating issues for them additional, each staff stated they had been unable to depart the corporate this yr.
“Is that this even allowed?” the employees requested. “Ought to we report this to HR?”
“It’s confirmed a rip-off!”
Commenters had been fast to warn that the scenario might escalate.
One urged speedy motion: “Please do report. Firm insurance policies normally state that there have to be NO monetary relationship between staff, as it’s a severe battle of curiosity. You’d be in breach of firm coverage in case you lent him cash. Don’t get fired over this!”
The commenter additionally reminded: “You already know you wouldn’t get your a refund. If he insists, however you’re by some means scared to report it, you possibly can politely inform him that you just want to see the sign-off from his huge boss in writing or e-mail, approving the monetary transaction. He’ll in all probability go away you alone. Suppose he doesn’t, e-mail the large boss and ask if he can approve the monetary transaction. Then watch issues transfer. In the event you work in an MNC, even higher – e-mail compliance or whistleblowing hotline and report. It’s a very severe matter.”
Others prompt the behaviour adopted a well-recognized sample. “It’s confirmed a rip-off! The individual will borrow small sums, then return the small sums on time-ish however steadily drag the deadline, and finally the sum will get greater, and the mortgage isn’t returned,” one remark claimed, describing how small loans are returned to construct belief earlier than bigger sums disappear.
One other added: “The individual may additionally borrow from A to return B’s cash. Borrow from C to return to A. And the quantity will get greater every time. And at some point, poof! The individual shall be gone and uncontactable.”
Worry of office repercussions
Whereas the supervisor cited medical emergencies both for his pal or for his pal’s mum as his causes for eager to borrow the cash from the employees, many commenters felt the repeated late-night calls, escalating requests, and going silent after refusals crossed an expert boundary.
For the employees concerned, the dilemma stays unresolved, with a balancing act between worry of office repercussions and issues about ethics, coverage breaches, and private monetary security.
Learn associated: ‘My boss nags at me daily’ — SG employee says, ‘I’m feeling caught’ as a result of ‘I’m an introvert, I favor texting my boss quite than speaking to him’
