A recent story has come to light after a worker opened up about the struggles he faces as a 30-year-old dealing with older colleagues at work.
In an anonymous entry, Jason (pseudonym) described himself as someone who is easy to talk to and generally gets along well with his colleagues. However, he shared that because of this, they often ask him to handle tasks that fall outside his actual job description.
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Malaysian baffled as older colleagues pile tasks on him for being the “youngest”
Jason revealed that as he worked his way up from an order processing clerk to a purchasing position, his colleagues would often assign him tasks, using the excuse, “you’re the youngest.”
“I’m usually cheerful, active, talkative, and I take the initiative to communicate with others. But maybe because of that, many people think I’m easy to talk to, so they often ask me to do things that aren’t part of my job.
“At first, they said it was because I was new and the youngest, so they asked me to handle a lot of trivial tasks. I respect my older colleagues (some in their 50s and 60s), and since the tasks were minor, I didn’t argue,” he wrote.
Later, a 40-year-old worker joined the team, and Jason hoped he’d finally have someone to share the workload with. However, the senior employees still insisted that Jason continue handling the tasks alone.
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“Why is age being used as an excuse?”
Jason recalled that when he first started, his colleagues would assign him tasks using the excuse that he was new. Now, six years later, the justification has shifted; they now claim it’s because he’s the youngest.
“Even the newcomers have started treating me the same way. Just because I’m the youngest doesn’t mean I should do everything. They even told me that ‘We let you do it because we trust you.'”
He pointed out that while his colleagues often talk about teamwork, almost all the work ends up on his plate. This has made him question the mindset of some older workers.
“Being treated like this has made me start doubting myself. I keep wondering if there’s something wrong with me, since I’m always assigned the tasks no one else wants. Gradually, I’ve gone from being talkative and cheerful to quiet and reserved. I feel like I’m losing a part of myself.
“I know that maybe it’s time to consider changing jobs. But I still want to hear everyone’s thoughts. If the problem lies with me, I want to improve so I don’t end up in the same situation at a new company.”
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Also read: M’sian Boss Says Young Workers Demand Too Much Too Soon, Shares Why Bosses Upgrade Cars & Travel
