At first glance, an annual dinner can look like the highlight of corporate life: lucky draws with MacBooks and cash prizes, rewards for top performers, and the image of a young, generous boss leading a thriving business. But what happens when the glittering façade hides a very different reality?
Recently, a netizen revealed on Xuan how far the workplace will go to create an image of success—sometimes at the expense of transparency and trust.
The Annual Dinner Illusion
Employees were dazzled by a lucky draw featuring big-ticket items such as laptops, appliances, and angpaos. Department heads were even presented with MacBooks on stage, applauded as rewards for achieving record-breaking results. Yet, according to insider accounts, not all of those rewards were what they seemed. One manager reportedly discovered that their “new laptop” was nothing more than an empty box—used as a prop for the event’s photo opportunities. And when asked about the empty box, they were scolded with harsh words: “Haven’t you gotten enough?”.
Office Politics Beneath the Surface
Beyond the glamorous dinner, the company culture told a different story. Internal communication relied heavily on a “middleman” responsible for liaising with top management. But when some staff began bypassing him to connect directly with higher-ups, he was quickly marginalized before abruptly resigning—leaving without handover and vanishing from group chats overnight.
Employees were later reminded to follow strict hierarchies and avoid “skipping levels,” highlighting the growing tension in internal communication.
Management by Image
One senior manager was often heard saying she “hated office politics,” yet staff recall feeling pressured under her leadership. Teams saw high turnover rates, with multiple employees resigning in waves. Recruitment, meanwhile, became increasingly unusual—candidates were screened not only through standard interviews, but also through personality tests and even numerology assessments.
Employees also reported that poor performance was rarely addressed directly. Instead, management would use indirect phrasing such as, “Everyone feels you’re not good enough,” effectively distancing themselves from responsibility while maintaining a “good cop” image.
Work-Life Balance, in Name Only
The company marketed itself as a “work-life balance” employer, but staff say reality was the opposite. Employees were often expected to be on-call around the clock, with quarterly three-day “retreats” that functioned more as extended work sessions—without overtime pay or compensatory leave.
Even employee reward trips were described as more about keeping management entertained than rewarding staff. Activities such as group singing quickly shifted into stages for senior staff, leaving others sidelined. Employees were further reminded that no leave would be allowed immediately after such trips, regardless of illness or exhaustion.
A Culture of Staged Warmth
Perhaps the most striking aspect was the company’s obsession with documentation. From meals to meetings, photographs were constantly taken and later used in recruitment campaigns to showcase a “warm and loving team.” Staff, however, described these moments as staged and sometimes forced, with attendance and enthusiasm expected even when genuine morale was low.
One company event even took place at the boss’s home, with staff told they were “the first ever group” to receive the honor. In practice, much of the evening was devoted to staged photo sessions and image-building exercises.
The Bigger Picture
While this story centers on one company, the themes resonate across many workplaces: a polished public image masking internal issues, promises of balance that clash with real demands, and employee “culture” manufactured more for marketing than for genuine well-being.
For many workers, the lesson is clear—glamour at the annual dinner does not always reflect the reality of everyday life inside a company.
