11 types of colleagues found in Singapore offices

11 types of colleagues found in Singapore offices
PHOTO: 11 types of colleagues found in Singapore offices

If every rose has its thorns, then every office is bound to have its peculiar characters.

For most Singapore office workers, these come in the form of the 'taichi master';  the 'vacationer'; the 'serial stabbers'; the 'smart alecks'; the 'angkat bola'; the 'workhorse' and many more.

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A video created by Night Owl Cinematics for recruitment website Recruit Plus has become a hit with netizens for its hilarious portrayal of the 11 types of colleagues most commonly found in Singapore offices.

The short 3-minute clip features an office with 5 actors playing out 11 characters typically seen in local workplaces. It has garnered close to 60,000 views since it was uploaded on YouTube last Thursday.

The video shows each character in various situations. In one scene, the 'vacationer' colleague dishes out creative and out-of-this-world excuses in order to get out of work.

These excuses include:

  • "My head is very giddy."
  • "My grandmother is giving birth."
  • "My wife (is) going crazy."
  • "My colleague next door is very annoying."
  • "My goldfish died yesterday."

Another typical colleague many office workers are familiar with is the 'angkat bola' (Malay for carry balls) colleague. This colleague is known to curry favour the boss by singing praises and doing personal favours out of his/her jobscope for the boss.One character popular with netizens is the 'workhorse' who is named Ah Ma (horse) in the clip. Dressed as an office employee with the head of a horse, the 'workhorse' is described as the 'severely overworked' colleague.

Shouted at and complained about, this employee is tasked with all sorts of jobs from menial to difficult. He is worked so hard that he collapses on the ground while doing his work.

Many netizens commended the creative word play in Ah Ma's name, while others sympathised and related with his situation.

Indeed, the video is popular because it has many characters that Singaporean workers can relate to.

A description accompanying the video highlights the importance of colleagues in our lives.

It says:

"There is a saying that you choose your friends but not your family. So where do colleagues fit in? We spend more time with our colleagues than we do with our friends or family yet we can't choose who they are.

"The truth is there is no escaping the people you spend 40 hours a week with. Here is our take on the types of colleagues you may be facing everyday."

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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