Hi all, I posted a while back about getting a 20% salary adjustment, being told to keep it confidential, and then suddenly getting excluded after someone likely saw my increment letter on my laptop.
Here’s the update.
I found a new job, and I’ve now completed 1 month here. Got my first salary; and honestly, I just feel relieved.
When I resigned, management was shocked. They told me multiple times they thought I’d be “the last person to leave” and tried to get me to stay with various offers.
But my decision wasn’t sudden.
For context:
- I was denied promotion for 2 years under a previous manager who clearly favored people that “played the game.” After repeated complaints about his behavior (by lots of production staffs), he was assigned to a different department, and I finally got promoted under a new manager.
- I was also targeted for things as simple as collaborating with colleagues from other departments (a close work friend), even when it was part of my job.
- During a critical period (Supervisor on 2-month hospital leave + manpower shortage), I stepped up to run the team and we still hit targets. I was working 7am to 11pm daily, no weekends. Overtime was verbally promised by that manager but never paid. Later I was told I had exceeded “legal working hours” by the HR, so they wouldn’t compensate it.
That pretty much sums up the environment.
The company culture was extremely political. Many people in higher positions were connected to management, and promotions often had little to do with actual performance.
My teammates were also competitive in a toxic way; taking credit, excluding people they see as competition, etc. Ironically, one of them (who I suspect saw my increment letter) was someone I personally recommended to join. I thought we were friends.
When I stopped chasing recognition, they underestimated me. So when I landed a better offer, there was definitely some tension.
I served a 2-week notice period (as my new company needed me to start urgently), completed all handovers, and was fortunate to have some time off during that period due to the Raya holidays before beginning my new role.
Now? Completely different environment. More structured, more professional, and people actually care about the work.
At my previous company, management always said: “Politics exists in every company.”
That’s definitely true.. but not every place is that bad.
They just take it to another level:
- Decisions based on connections over capability
- Underqualified people in key roles
- Work quality taking a backseat to personal gain
I’ve had colleagues with 10+ years experience tell me it was the worst company they’ve worked in.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this update for anyone who feels stuck in a toxic workplace.
Sometimes the best move isn’t to fight harder... it’s to leave.
Also… yes, I now lock my laptop every single time I walk away 😅