Singapore’s spookiest office ghost stories that’ll make you think twice about working overtime

The workplace can be a very scary place, even without adding ghosts into the mix. But for some working adults, a “haunted office” isn’t just a Halloween gimmick —  it’s their everyday, or rather, every late-night reality. From eerie footsteps to spectral coworkers who clearly never clock out, these stories prove that sometimes, it’s not the deadlines but the dead that you should be frightened of. Here are some real-life spiritual encounters that might just have you reconsidering your late-night OT sessions.

(Disclaimer: All names in this article have been changed for nondisclosure of identity.)

1. The case of the Kebaya at 30,000 feet

As if flying isn’t stressful enough, Celine, a crew member, spotted a Kebaya peeking from the gap underneath the curtain in the bunk mid-flight. When she flung the curtain open, surprise… there was no one there. Given how deep the crew bunks are situated, it’s safe to say the Kebaya didn’t simply just “run away”.

2. You’re never alone in a theatre

From being stared down by unseen forces during an Italian opera at Victoria Theatre from the projection room to hearing ghostly footsteps under the stage at Lasalle, Elise has seen (and heard) it all. But don’t worry, according to her, these spirits are more chill than Casper and wouldn’t bother us, unless, of course, we willingly disrespect them. She also recounted a lady spirit that lingered in the studio and haunted the costume designer. He then ordered the theatre company to respectfully discard the mask with peace offerings once the show concluded. There really is nothing like that unfathomable feeling of knowing you’re never alone in a theatre space. At this point, Elise has acknowledged that she’s besties with the spirits.

3. The portal corridor of terror

Cheyanne’s old office had some serious ghostly street traffic. A feng shui master claimed that Cheyanne’s boss’s office had an elderly lady standing in the corner of the room who, for reasons unknown, would follow her. Apparently, she was harmless. The feng shui master went on to state that the corridor to the service lift acted as a ghost portal. 

One fine day, upon looking back at footage from filming, unexplained figures were found lounging on the couch. It doesn’t stop there. A child model once pointed and waved to an empty ceiling. One editor even had a kid sprint past her in the bathroom… except there was no kid.

4. The bell that should never have rung

Zakir would work late nights at an office in Braddell, a spot rumoured to be built over burial grounds (yikes). One night, alone at 11pm, the receptionist’s call bell suddenly rang, not once but twice. If you haven’t already figured, nobody was there. 

The day after, a colleague mentioned she was writing when the projector switched on by itself, flashing its light on the wall of a dark meeting room, adjacent to where she was sitting. No one touched it. No one could explain it. Perhaps it was a technical glitch?

5. When typing becomes knocking… run.

Jason fearlessly chose to be in denial that he wasn’t alone after a round of spot checks, despite the furious typing that morphed into loud knocking. One random Saturday evening, when collecting an item he needed from the office, he felt somebody brush past him. He was pushed so hard, he stumbled. And if you thought these horrifying instances were convincing enough to switch from denial to acceptance, Jason glimpsed reflections of things zooming past on a black screen beside his desk. Pretty sure that wasn’t Max Verstappen on a coffee break.

6. BuzzFeed Unsolved: Chinatown edition

Ashley’s Chinatown office, an ancient, heritage building, was as creepy as it could get. After binge-watching ‘BuzzFeed Unsolved’ with her colleagues, weird things started happening in the office. One night, when she was working overtime alone, the office cat began meowing frantically and sprinted to the second floor of the office. This was followed by typing sounds that freaked her out so bad, she immediately left the office. And worst of all? Ashley had sleep paralysis when she returned home that night, depicting angry ancient Chinese spirits who were attempting to get at her. The cherry on top? When Ashley’s friend, who had a supernatural sixth sense, came to pick her from the office, she sensed an ancient “aunty” spirit telling them to scram. Advice taken! We don’t want to be dealing with residential spirits.

7. It’s the 1am giggles for me

Zena shares the ultimate nightmare fuel. It was 1am when she heard a child’s giggle outside her office. Another time, she reached the office before dawn to prepare for an early meeting when she heard someone drop something loudly in the pantry. Alarmed, she realised that the motion-activated lights were not triggered. She instantaneously ran back to her office and waited till 8am for the rest of her colleagues to come. Honestly, we would do the same.

So, the next time you hear a strange knock, a phantom giggle, or the vigorous typing after your coworkers have left, maybe think twice before blaming the office cat or your over-caffeinated brain. After all, some “colleagues” are a lot more invisible than we think.

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