SINGAPORE: One employee’s patience finally ran out after years of being asked to handle “grey areas” or tasks that had absolutely nothing to do with their actual job scope.

Sharing their frustrations on the local forum called singaporejobs on Monday (May 27), the employee said their boss had constantly expected staff to “cover the grey areas, do more work outside their job scope, and think like a business owner.”

The employee admitted that they initially followed instructions without questioning them and carried out the extra responsibilities “fairly well.” However, they eventually became burnt out as their boss continued to criticise their performance despite their efforts.

According to the employee, their boss ranks staff on a scale of one to five.

“It’s like 1 for ‘cannot make it.’ 2 for ‘barely making it.’ 3 for ‘average.’ 4 for ‘better than average.’ 5 for ‘industry best.’”

During their first year, the boss allegedly told them they “were not good enough” and “dismissed their effort.”

In their second year, the boss reportedly said they “were still a 3.”

By the third year, the employee said they had finally reached their limit. “He told me I was still a 3 and asked me to do more work.”

“I just told him politely no. Since you already said there’s no promotion, then I am happy to do my work, and that’s good enough. Please don’t ask me to do more and cover grey areas and frame it as career development.”

“I think once bitten, twice shy. Unless the remuneration or incentive is made clear upfront, I am not going to do anything that is not within my field of work.”

Wondering if they did the right thing, they asked Singaporean users: “Am I the a***ole for telling my boss no?”

“Good job for standing up for yourself.”

Many commenters quickly sided with the employee, saying there was nothing wrong with setting boundaries at work. 

One user pointed out how absurd the demands were, writing, “Do outside job scope, think like a business owner, but you don’t pay me like a business owner; it’s like asking a horse to think and work like a cow.”

Another said, “You’re not the a***ole. Bosses and owners want to get two workers for the price of one.”

A third simply said, “Good job for standing up for yourself.”

Still, some warned the employee that refusing extra work could come with consequences during future performance reviews. 

One told them, “Just be prepared that your next performance grade might be a 2, or even 1 + a PIP. From what you have shared, it seems like your boss considers covering extra work a basic expectation. Hence, the average grade. That makes not covering that extra stuff a below-average grading.”

In other news, a Singaporean Threads user who tried to call out two national servicemen on the MRT has instead found himself at the centre of online criticism, after his post struck a nerve with many who felt the men were unfairly singled out.

In a post published on Tuesday (March 28), the user, who goes by the handle “chefphotodan,” shared a photo taken inside a crowded train carriage.

Read more: Man criticised online after calling out NSFs for using phones on MRT: ‘Cut our boys some slack, please’

This article (‘Am I wrong for saying no?’ — Employee tired of being asked to cover ‘grey areas’ at work) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.