At what point does a higher salary stop being worth the extra stress? One netizen wanted answers.
‘I can’t imagine doing this for the rest of my life’: SG millennials say they’re burnt out by corporate grind
SINGAPORE: The corporate grind is hardly a new source of misery, but an increasing number of workers seem to be questioning whether the long hours, endless KPIs, and weekend emails are really worth it.
For some, years of trying to keep up have left them thoroughly exhausted, with the prospect of spending another decade doing the same thing proving rather less appealing than it once did.
So, is this simply a handful of disgruntled workers making noise online, or are Singapore’s millennials genuinely getting fed up with corporate life?
One Singaporean recently put the question to the r/askSingapore community: “Are most millennials in Singapore actually burnt out and trying to escape the corporate rat race?”
The woman said she had already made her own decision, having walked away from her corporate job five months ago. She has not looked back since.
But after coming across more stories about millennials leaving corporate careers, taking less demanding jobs, and pursuing BaristaFIRE, she began wondering just how widespread the sentiment really was. “Fellow millennials do share your experience! Or if you know someone who had similar experiences.”
Judging by the responses, she was certainly not the only one feeling weary of the nine-to-five.
A number of millennials and Gen Z workers chimed in with stories of burnout, frustration and a growing reluctance to spend the best years of their lives chasing promotions and pay rises.
One 27-year-old Gen Z worker said they had already spent six years in the corporate world and were getting tired of what they called “performative work.”
“I am Gen Z, 27 this year, and have been in corporate for 6 years. Getting tired of performative work, and I am struggling with mental health. It's just so tiring and not worth the money.”
A millennial who had just turned 40 said they were also feeling the strain, admitting that quitting had crossed their mind more than once.
“I’m a millennial who just turned 40. I'm burnt out at work and think about quitting/taking NPL/throwing in the towel pretty often. Then I'm fearful of doing it in case I can't find another job. I have some money saved but am always unsure if it could last me for the rest of my life.”
Another worker wrote they were not quite at the point of burnout, but had nonetheless grown thoroughly sick of corporate life.
“I'm feeling the same. Not burnt out, but I'm seriously sick of corporate life and dread going to work every day. I feel like taking a break, but being unemployed/not knowing when I'll find a job makes me stressed too.”
One of the younger millennials in the discussion said they had already reached their limit at 30.
“Prob the youngest millennial here, but I'm burnt out at 30. I have my savings because I'm blessed by my parents, but I can't imagine doing this for the rest of my life. Definitely not been saving as much as I want to enjoy things while young as well; otherwise, I could've FIRE'd at 35/40 (depending on how much I want a month).”
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Those who had already stepped away from the corporate grind also weighed in, assuring burnt-out workers that walking away is perfectly reasonable when the pressure becomes too much.
“At 32, I had diabetes and hypertension due to stress at work. Decided to learn trading. I quit my job at 34; now I'm 35. I became a full-time trader and also an FA. Diabetes is under control, and hypertension is reversed. Earning 3x my previous job. Never been happier in my life.”
Another shared, “I left corporate in 2024 and started working with pets. Big, big, big pay cut, but I’m not even hesitating to say that I’ve never been happier. I don’t know what the future holds for me and my wallet, but I’m doing all I can to save as much as I can but still enjoying travelling out every few months.” /TISG