SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old man working in the energy sector is feeling completely burnt out after a sudden surge in demand linked to the ongoing war pushed his workload to extreme levels.
Posting on the r/asksg forum on Friday (Apr 10), he shared that things escalated very quickly. Within less than two weeks, his company received more than two months’ worth of customer orders.
“It’s been non-stop chaos since early March,” he said, feeling a bit defeated. “I’ve been working overtime every single day since then: 8:30 am to 10:30 pm; sometimes I even have to work on weekends. It’s now been over a month of this grind, and I’m completely exhausted—mentally and physically.”
The man added that he is seriously thinking about resigning as the burnout has become overwhelming and is already affecting his health.
At the same time, he admitted that the job market is holding him back. “My rational side is screaming, ‘Don’t do it.’ The job market right now is brutal (my brother has been unemployed for almost a full year despite applying everywhere), and I’m worried that leaving could be a huge mistake. I’m not local and don’t have family members here in Singapore, so I pay my own rent here.”
Feeling stretched thin and in need of direction, he asked other forum users: “I’m burnt out after a month of 14-hour days due to a war-driven demand surge—should I resign? Has anyone else been in a similar situation—insane workload spike and terrible market? Did you stay or leave? How did it turn out?
“Any advice on whether I should push through or start looking for something new while I’m still employed? Thanks in advance—really need some outside perspective here.”
“If this is the industry you want to stay in, then you’ll have to find ways to manage it.”
In the comments, people were quick to advise him against quitting. One told him, “You are indeed lucky to have a job right now. Just hang in there. Being jobless is a lot worse for your mental health.”
Some also offered advice on how he could better manage his workload, with one suggesting he bring the issue up with his boss.
“Tell your boss that you’re overworked and burnt-out and ask them to hire more contractors to share the workload.”
Another user supported this suggestion, saying things won’t really change unless he makes it clear to management that the 14-hour workdays are affecting his mental health.
“Let the management know; they are the ones to come up with a solution. You just need to do what you need to do. If the work is too much, it will spill over, and you have to let it happen so the management knows and has to come up with a plan. If you are doing a 14-hour shift to prevent spillover, the management will not know, since there is no pain to them.”
A third commenter who worked in the same industry and went through similar demand spikes back in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine conflict said they view what is happening now as part of a repeating cycle rather than something entirely new or permanent.
“I think the key is to be aware that what’s happening now will eventually normalise to a new normal, and then the next wave will come, etc. This is inevitable given how closely linked energy and geopolitics are.”
“If this is the industry you want to stay in, then you’ll have to find ways to manage it—prioritise your tasks, drawing a boundary where you can just call it a day and leave the rest for tomorrow. And when you call it a day, try to cut yourself off from your work phone, etc., fully.”
Meanwhile, a fourth urged him to stay until bonuses are paid, writing, “Wait for bonus? Don’t work for nothing. I assume more work means the company earns more. Like me, the COVID period bonus was super good for those who didn’t leave.”
In other news, online discussions about starting salaries have resurfaced after a fresh graduate revealed on an online forum that she is currently earning just S$2,000 a month before CPF deductions.
In her post on r/askSingapore, the young woman explained that she holds a bachelor’s degree in business and is currently working in a short-term contract role.
Read more: Fresh grad earning S$2k/month worries she may be undervaluing herself in the job market
This article (‘Non-stop chaos since early March’: Energy sector worker burnt out after war-driven demand surge pushes workload to extreme levels) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.
