Many Malaysians are speaking up about toxic work environments, and one recent story has struck a chord.
An anonymous post on XUAN’s Facebook page shared how a Malaysian woman has been struggling for months under an overwhelming workload, long hours and a lack of recognition from her employer.
Says she works from 9am to 8.30pm daily with zero OT pay
The woman, 31, said she earns between RM5,000 and RM6,000 a month and holds both a housing loan and a car loan. On paper, her salary seems reasonable, but she revealed that it comes at the cost of her physical and mental health.
She claimed that her official role is an admin, but her workload extends far beyond that.
According to her, she works from 9am to 8.30pm every day without overtime compensation. When she brought up the issue, her boss allegedly told her that an admin earning her salary should not expect OT pay.
Handles almost everything in the company
As the post continued, she explained that she has become the go to person for nearly every problem in the company.
Employees make mistakes and she handles it.
Someone is in a bad mood and she handles it.
When customers complain she handles it.
She also takes care of department coordination, HR tasks, paperwork, processes, purchasing and general communication.
In her words, wherever the company has an issue, it automatically becomes her issue.
Claims boss only blames, never praises
She added that her boss never asks what happened and instead jumps straight to criticism.
She recalled often hearing phrases like:
“Why did you handle it like this?”
“Why did you not complete it earlier?”
“This method is very low quality.”
“You can do better.”
She said that when she performs well, she receives no acknowledgement, but when she slips even slightly, she takes the full blame.
Stress and burnout affecting her health
As the workload and pressure continued to grow, she began experiencing migraines, heart palpitations, irritability and insomnia. For the past six months, she has not been able to sleep properly and often wakes up multiple times a night.
There were moments where she found herself crying in the restroom without knowing why. The emotional and physical stress has left her feeling exhausted and drained.
Friends advise her to resign, but she fears starting over
Her friends told her that based on her responsibilities, her workload is equivalent to six roles combined and that similar jobs elsewhere could pay around RM7,000.
However, she admitted that she is afraid of switching jobs because she worries about adapting to a new environment and fears that another company might treat her the same.
She said she is not incapable, but simply very tired. Between supporting her loans, managing her responsibilities and trying to meet her boss’s demands, she feels like she is reaching her limit.
“I am scared to leave but scared to stay too”
Her post ends on a reflective note. She shared that she does not know if she should resign. Leaving might bring regret, but staying might break her.
She also wonders if anyone else has reached a point in life where they suddenly no longer know what they are holding on for.
What do you think about her situation? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
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