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SINGAPORE: An Indonesian worker who\u2019s currently earning S$6,000 a month took to Reddit to ask locals if \u201cworking from 9 am to 11 pm almost every day is actually normal in Singapore.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The 30-year-old wrote on the r\/askSingapore forum that they\u2019ve been operating on a punishing schedule of up to 14 hours a day and have even been putting in hours on weekends.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI keep telling myself it\u2019s just \u2018startup life\u2019 or \u2018SG hustle culture,\u2019 but I honestly can\u2019t tell anymore if I\u2019m getting a normal experience or getting cooked.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n They explained that they moved to Singapore some time ago for a creative role at a tech company, where they handle a mix of video editing, AI content production, prompt engineering, and motion graphics.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI genuinely like the work,\u201d they said, but admitted that their routine has started to feel a bit draining. Most days are just work, then home, then sleep, on repeat. They added that they can go an entire weekend without speaking to anyone face-to-face, and it has made them realise how much they miss having a proper social circle.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat does a reasonable workload actually look like for someone in a creative\/production role here?\u201d they asked others.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlso, [do you have] any recommendations for communities, meetups, hobby groups, or hangout spots? An Indonesian community would be nice, but honestly, I\u2019m open to anything\u2014sports, board games, art stuff, expat groups, whatever\u2019s chill.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Regarding pay, they asked locals what the salary benchmark would be for someone in their role.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI have zero idea what the going rate is in SG, and I don\u2019t want to lowball myself the next time pay comes up. I was promised to get increment if I can achieve my boss expectations (but there is no contract to it), and it really is tiring to work, sleep, work, sleep nonstop. It\u2019s nice to know there is a future for me, but it\u2019s a bit scary to not have any fixed guarantee to it. If anyone\u2019s in a similar lane or hires for one, I would love a ballpark.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Many were shocked by the post author\u2019s demanding work schedule, with several commenters saying it is \u201cdefinitely not normal\u201d in the country and calling the conditions unsustainable.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI apologise for the treatment you receive in Singapore. These are unhealthy work hours. You can look for another job,\u201d one comment read.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA 14-hour workday for S$6k is way under the norm. That\u2019s similar to earning S$3.5k if you work a typical 8-hour workday. Are there any RSU (restricted stock unit)? If not, that\u2019s just mad,\u201d another chimed in.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c14-hour days is not startup hustle, that\u2019s just exploitation, lah. If they\u2019re not paying you at least S$4-5k for that grind, you\u2019re basically subsidising the company,\u201d a third wrote.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c14 hours is crazy. I remember I did 15-16 hours per shift for conscription service, and a lot of people went crazy. So you better take it easy. Maybe you can get yourself into Pok\u00e9mon and One Piece TCG. There are a lot of trade shows too. You need to enjoy yourself; if not, your long working hours will not do you any good in the long run,\u201d a fourth added.<\/span><\/p>\n Some users, however, pushed back, saying such working hours are more common than people think in certain industries.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSuper common. It\u2019s very normal to work 10-11 hrs per day and weekends too. In particular, if you are not Singaporean\/PR because you can\u2019t just quit a bad job,\u201d one said.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not at all advocating it, but the hours are normal. And the thing is, the more creative professionals here ask to be paid, the higher the likelihood companies begin looking for remote talent they only have to pay a third to half your salary for. It\u2019s already happened where I work. Friends in other organisations can concur,\u201d another commented.<\/span><\/p>\n In other news, a man is seeking advice online after his mother, who \u201cchased him out of their home\u201d in 2024, is now demanding that he financially support both her and his father.<\/span><\/p>\n Detailing his dilemma on a local forum, he shared that his relationship with his mother had already been strained long before he was forced to leave.<\/span><\/p>\n Read more: <\/span>\u2018She chased me out\u2019: Man says mum now demands financial support years later<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\u201c14 hours is crazy.\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n