Singapore Workers Looking To Avoid Toxic Workplaces
SINGAPORE – A research by Instant Offices showed that employees and professionals in the city-state have become more concerned about working in a toxic environment, reported Eco-Business on Tuesday afternoon (24 May, SGT).
In fact, the coworking space operator discovered that internet searches for the phrase “toxic workplace” surged by 55 percent in Singapore last year compared to 2020.
Toxic workplaces – which is characterised by high employee turnover, poor management, and infighting among staff – have become a more serious issue amidst the mental health impact of the pandemic, while remote work has exacerbated causes of stress, like overwork, poor communication, and under-recognition.
Toxic work culture was discovered to be the single best predictor of employee resignations in what became known as “the great resignation” in 2021, when an unprecedented number of staff left their jobs, based on January 2022 research by MIT Sloan School of Management.
Moreover, Instant Offices’ study found that about 90 percent of Singapore staff are experiencing burnout, a state of poor mental health due to excessive or prolonged stress at work.
Employees here work some of the longest hours in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, with most Singapore staff working for an average of 44.6 hours per week.
The findings show higher mental health awareness and an understanding that “employee wellbeing is more than just the individual burning out — it is the system and environment that might be the triggers of burnout,” said Enoch Li, Founder of workplace health social enterprise Bearapy.
Li highlighted the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) definition of burnout, which is defined as an occupational phenomenon, not a medical condition resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been well managed.
The named factors causing burnout in Singapore are long working hours (33 percent), pressure to meet deadlines (37 percent), and heavier workloads (49 percent).
Due to the burnout, 30 percent of Singapore staff are considering to change jobs this year, according to a study published earlier this month.
The study found out that for Singapore employees a good work-life balance is as important as salary and benefits. It is even more valued than career progression or job security.
