4 in 10 Singapore Workers Prefer WFH Over Larger Bonus
SINGAPORE – A study by human resources (HR) solutions agency Randstad revealed that 41 percent of staff in Singapore would forego a larger bonus to be able to work from home (WFH) despite telecommuting for nearly two years already because of the COVID-19 pandemic, reported The Business Times on Tuesday afternoon (15 March, SGT).
Noting worker’s preference for working outside of their office, Randstad Singapore and Malaysia Managing Director Jaya Dass said that “employers that intend to make hybrid work a permanent feature of their workforce culture after the pandemic should also start to roll out policies as soon as they can to retain their workforce.”
The preference for WFH is likely because of various perks staff experienced while working remotely. These include higher productivity and having more personal time, as well as saving time and money from commuting.
Moreover, the research showed that a minimum of 80 percent of the polled employees in Singapore got a salary raise so far this year, with 9 percent of these staff witnessing a pay hike of over 20 percent.
These are among the salient points of Randstad Singapore’s 2022 Salary and Bonus Expectations survey. The study involved 300 workers based in Singapore, and was conducted online from 7 to 14 February.
Of the polled employees who revealed that they will receive a bonus, 25 percent estimated that they will receive a bonus worth less than a month, while 12 percent said they will get a bonus worth seven months or more.
65 percent of the staff expecting bonuses also said that they are satisfied enough to stay with their organization for the next six months.
Dass noted that employers must be willing to share their earnings to retain valued staff, amidst “this great resignation or great reshuffling stage of the pandemic”.
“Talent with in-demand skills in this candidate-short market have a strong negotiating power to request higher salaries and will likely look for a new employer if their current boss is unable to meet their expectations,” she added.
