The pandemic has caused Singaporeans to reassess their priorities and for 49% of Singaporeans, their career is no longer one of them. With 62% of Singaporean employees stating they suffer from burnout and 57% stating that they have an average or even poor work-life balance, new research* by Employment Hero found that employers can play a much bigger role in employee wellbeing in order to maintain and attract talent.
According to the payroll, HR and people management solution provider, burnout can be triggered by a combination of different factors, and amongst the Singaporean workforce, the pandemic’s impact on their job, as well as their mental health seem to be the key drivers. The Employee Wellness Report, which polled 1,005 Singaporean employees, found that as many as 45% of employees said that the pandemic has negatively impacted their career progression. The research also showed that 68% of Singporean workers are stressed about their finances, and 65% of workers had said that their stress levels were severely impacted by the effects of COVID on the workplace.
Despite financial woes and burnout, mental health support appears to be an area in which Singaporean employers have managed to make impactful changes, with 47% of employees agreeing that their company is very supportive of employees’ mental health. Despite this, it was also found that 53% of employees are uncomfortable discussing mental health issues in the workplace, and 49% of employees are concerned that reporting mental health issues would lead to repercussions in the workplace.
Employment Hero said valuable rewards to be gained by businesses that choose to focus on employee wellness, with employees who rated their employer’s commitment to wellness as good stating they were 45% more likely to say they were loyal to a business.
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| Source: Employment Hero. Thompson. |
“From our report, it’s clear that employees are seeking mental health support, balance, and education, and employers must step up and offer the right resources to create a happy and productive workforce. By taking small steps in the right direction such as increasing mental health support budgets, prioritising financial education, and implementing remote working practices that enable a greater work-life balance, employers can quickly pivot towards the kind of people-first approach that employees will truly be able to appreciate.”
“Ultimately, workers will stay with companies that support them, and leave the ones that don’t, so in order to retain top-tier talent and foster a successful workforce, it’s critical for employers to take these demands to take action where it’s most needed,” Thompson added.
Report highlights include:
- Employees with poor work-life balance are 52% more likely to feel burnt out.
- Those who feel burnt out are 42% more likely to feel that their productivity is low.
- Employees with poor productivity are 282% more likely to feel a poor sense of work-life balance, creating a vicious cycle of burnout and mental stress.
Details:
*Employment Hero’s 2022 Employee Wellness Report analysed 1,005 Singaporean employees to understand employee wellbeing at work especially in relation to mental health, career wellness and financial wellbeing. Research was also conducted in Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
