Woman says workplaces with “many aunties” tend to have the worst office politics
By Yoko Nicole
JANUARY 7, 2024
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean Redditor took to social media to express her thoughts. According to her experience, workplaces with “many aunties” tend to have the worst office politics.
“It’s hard to stay long in such workplaces unless you are also an aunty…,” u/CorrectWasabi647wrote on r/SingaporeRaw on Jan 1.
Even though her post was only one line long, it appeared to have struck a chord with other Singaporeans, as many felt compelled to share their experiences working in an environment where there were a lot of “aunties”.
Mood Swing Aunty
One fellow SG Redditor wrote that some of the older women at his workplace were “awfully rigid,” prone to “mood swings,” and would constantly say “this cannot, that cannot” on bad days.Another user shared that the unmarried ones were the worst, and he detested it so much that whenever he came across unmarried aunties as his manager, he would immediately start looking for another job.
You’ve probably heard of women going through mood swings regularly. However, if you experience it firsthand and are the target of their unexpected emotional outburst, you might feel taken aback, perplexed, and unsure of how to respond—especially if you are in a professional setting.
How do we work with “mood swing aunty”?
First, you must understand that the “auntie” is not in control of her mood swings and that it’s not entirely her fault that she’s suddenly being snappy at everyone at work.Hormonal imbalances, premenstrual syndrome, stress, anxiety, and other psychological disorders can all contribute to mood swings in older women.
They may also be at a point in their lives where they are entering the perimenopause stage, which is when their bodies make the natural transition into menopause. This is when the reproductive years come to an end.
Sometimes, older women, especially those in authority, can have uncontrollable bad moods that can have a negative effect on everyone in the workplace. In this situation, it’s best not to take the bad mood personally and approach her later when she has calmed down.
Gossiping Aunty
Another Redditor added that many “aunties” gossip a lot, and that’s why they foster a toxic workplace environment.In this situation, eliminating the “gossip culture” in the workplace completely could be challenging, particularly if you are a new employee and they have been there for many years.
Gossip is one of the most damaging forms of communication. When someone talks about another person in a negative light, it destroys trust. Worse, it can lead to a toxic work environment. If left unchecked, it can cause discord among coworkers and make the “subject” of the gossip feel insulted and disrespected.
How do we work with “gossiping aunty”?
According to Indeed, there are three ways to handle gossipers:- First, confront them calmly and politely ask them to stop spreading rumours about you.
- Second, approach your manager and ask him or her for help.
- Third, go to your HR department and ask them about filing a complaint.
