Employee calls boss toxic, criticises company for enforcing ‘no-earphones’ rule
A Malaysian Threads user recently went viral after sharing that he quit his job because of a ‘toxic’ boss who enforced a no earphones rule during working hours.
Rule is to ensure attentiveness and effective communication at work
In a now-deleted post on Threads, the user shared a screenshot of an internal email reminding staff that earphones were “not advisable” unless used for work-related calls.
Source: @ftmjll on Threads
The management explained that the rule was to “ensure attentiveness” and encourage effective communication among colleagues during work hours.
OP deemed the restriction unnecessary
However, the user felt that the restriction was unnecessary and reflected the company’s tendency to micromanage.
Source: PBXStudio on Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
The employee claimed that management introduced the rule even though they were in the finance department, not customer service or human resources.
The employee described the decision as “petty” and said it showed that management often focused on trivial matters rather than productivity.
Alleged that the company’s culture was demoralising
The user went on to call their boss “toxic”, saying the company culture was stifling and demoralising.
They eventually resigned three months ago and added that three more colleagues have since followed suit.
Netizens remarked that banning earphones helped improve focus and teamwork
After the post went viral, many netizens debated whether the rule was sensible.
One Threads user took the company’s side, suggesting that wearing earphones can lead to isolation and a lack of communication at work. They also said the Original Poster’s (OP) reason to quit is not valid.
Translation: This isn’t toxic lah. Even when kids wear their headphones 24/7 at home, it’s already annoying. People should cultivate a safe and friendly work environment — not one that’s isolating and lacking communication. That’s not a valid reason to resign.
Source: Threads
However, another person agreed with the OP’s decision, saying the boss was micromanaging and that they made the right decision to resign.
Also read: Man in M’sia quits S$4.6K job to be a delivery rider, said previous job gave him panic attacks
Man in M’sia quits S$4.6K job to be a delivery rider, said previous job gave him panic attacks
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Featured image adapted from PBXStudio on Canva and shisuka on Canva, for illustrative purposes only.
