In many workplaces today, there is a growing silence among those in leadership positions. A silence that is not born out of ignorance, but out of choice. A choice to protect personal interests, job titles, and salaries while the workers under their supervision are left to suffer in silence. These are workplaces where middle managers and supervisors have become voiceless, hiding behind the excuse that they are only following instructions from above.
But leadership was never meant to be about protecting a position. Leadership is about responsibility. It is about standing up when things go wrong, not standing aside and watching.
Modern-Day Exploitation of the Voiceless Worker
Across many sectors like hospitality, cleaning, and other unskilled jobs, workers are being subjected to extreme workloads. The workforce is being downsized, yet the tasks remain the same. One person is now expected to perform the job of two, three, or even four people. Workers are forced to run from one department to another within large premises, without support, without rest, and often, without even being allowed to voice their exhaustion.
This exploitation targets the most vulnerable. Migrant workers on work permits, young employees who are unaware of their rights, and others in precarious positions are pushed to the brink. They fear losing their jobs or their residence rights if they speak out. And so, they stay silent, even as their health deteriorates.
When One Worker Does the Job of Four
In industries such as hospitality, cleaning, and other unskilled sectors, workforce reductions have become common, yet the workload remains unchanged. Workers are now expected to perform the duties of two, three, or even four people, running between departments, juggling multiple roles, and meeting unrealistic expectations — all without extra support or fair compensation.
For example, in a large hotel, a single cleaner may be tasked with maintaining several floors within impossible timeframes. During peak service hours, a kitchen assistant might be pulled away from their primary duties to handle front-of-house tasks, while reception staff are instructed to assist with housekeeping because “everyone must support where needed.” This relentless stretching of workers has become a standard practice, not an exception.
Similarly, in a busy restaurant, a kitchen assistant may be forced to juggle dishwashing, food preparation, and front-of-house duties simultaneously. Servers might be expected to manage tables, assist in the kitchen, and even clean restrooms within the same shift, all under the guise of teamwork. These excessive demands are imposed with no consideration for the physical and mental toll on workers.
What makes this exploitation even more tragic is that those being overworked often cannot afford their basic monthly expenses despite the extra labour. Their immediate managers and supervisors — motivated by self-interest and the desire to impress upper management — assign these burdens with no remorse. They profit from the exhaustion of their subordinates, securing bonuses, recognition, or favours, all while turning a blind eye to the suffering caused by their actions.
Not Until Someone Slumps Do We Recognise the Collapse
When a worker slumps and collapses to the ground, it becomes a visible emergency. The sirens of the ambulance, the rush to the hospital, the headlines. But what about the invisible collapse that happens every day?
There are many workers who have already collapsed inside. They are walking with bodies that are carrying too much pain, too much stress, and too much exhaustion. Their minds have slumped, their spirits have slumped, but they continue to move because they have no choice. They are just waiting for the day their body will slump too.
The collapse does not begin when a worker hits the ground. It begins long before, in the moments of ignored complaints, in the overloaded schedules, and in the silent meetings where management chooses to look the other way.
The Silent Managers: Protecting Positions Over People
One of the most heartbreaking realities is that many of those in management are fully aware of this exploitation. They see it daily. They witness workers breaking down, yet they hide under the excuse of following instructions from above. They fear challenging higher management because they want to protect their position, their salary, their benefits, their pride, their uniform, their arrogance, their self-interest, and their authoritarian mindset.
Worse still, some of these managers deliberately exploit vulnerable workers to curry favour with their own superiors. They assign impossible workloads to certain employees, knowing well that their subordinates are afraid to complain. They create a cycle of oppression, using those beneath them to gain recognition, bonuses, or preferential treatment from upper management. It becomes a system where the exploited are made to please their oppressors, and those oppressors benefit by sabotaging the very values of fairness and dignity.
Despite all the campaigns from government agencies and non-governmental organisations fighting against modern-day workplace exploitation, some managers actively sabotage these efforts to please their employers. Their loyalty lies not with the well-being of their teams but with protecting their self-interests.
Complicity Through Silence
It is easy for middle managers to blame the system. To say they are powerless. But every time a manager sees a worker being overworked and chooses silence, they become an extension of the exploitation. Their silence is not neutrality. It is complicity.
Choosing not to speak up to safeguard one’s position is choosing to watch others suffer. Every worker collapse, every health breakdown, is a result of not just top-level decisions, but also the silence of those who had the chance to raise their voice and did not.
A Call to Ethical Leadership
The time for silent leadership is over. If you are in a position of authority, no matter how small, you are responsible for what happens under your watch. You can either be a leader who hides behind instructions, or one who protects the dignity and welfare of those you lead. Ignorance of the law is no excuse, especially on issues that are widely discussed and actively campaigned against in the media and by government institutions.
Leadership is not about a title. It is about humanity.
The exploitation of workers, especially vulnerable workers on work permits and in unskilled jobs, is not just a workplace issue. It is a human rights issue. Until more people in leadership positions choose to use their voice, the cycle of suffering will continue.
When the next worker collapses, when the next life is in danger, we should all ask ourselves — did I do everything I could to stop this? There are already workers collapsing inside daily, waiting for the moment their bodies will collapse too.
Final Thought
Speaking up comes with risks. But staying silent comes with a greater cost.
The true test of leadership is not how well you protect your position, but how well you protect the people who depend on you. Humanity must come first in all our actions. We must not wait until tragedy strikes to regret our silence and selfish interests.
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