Stressed Flex Workers In Singapore Hit Alarming Percentage

SINGAPORE – A new survey discovered that 94 percent of staff here who are enjoying hybrid working arrangements are suffering from stress despite the touted benefit of having a better work-life balance, and this surpasses the global average of 86 percent, reported the Human Resources Director on Wednesday morning (23 November, SGT).

According to a research by Cigna, which surveyed 1,001 Singapore-based respondents, an alarming number of employees here on flexible work setups are being burdened by “virtual overload or fatigue,” with 90 percent of them revealing that they work outside normal hours at least once per week.

Also, while Singapore staff want their employers to help them tackle their stress, merely 8 percent of businesses here provide some kind of support.

The survey findings show that flexible work arrangements come with perks and disadvantages, noted Cigna’s Head of insights for international markets, Larisa Beckhouse.

“While many employees in Singapore desire the flexibility of hybrid work, they are also struggling with increased workload, virtual fatigue, and reduced interaction with coworkers.”

“The solution to this is not only in finding the most effective split or schedule of remote and in-office working, but understanding what employees need to help them combat stress and burnout as well as improving engagement with their work and colleagues,” she added.

In particular, the study found out that 95 percent of Gen Z workers were suffering from stress. This group is also the most emotionally affected by stress, with 50 percent saying it made them feel depressed, while 51 percent stated that it made them more emotional.

Among the cited leading causes of stress were financial and economic issues, specifically personal finance (35 percent), uncertainty over the future (38 percent), and rising cost of living (50 percent).

Furthermore, 95 percent of the Singapore respondents reported being already burned out, with 48 percent suffering from lower productivity, while 56 percent are suffering from loss of concentration.

Stress also led to 35 percent of the local workers to switch employers in the past year, while another 34 percent intend to find new employment over the next 12 months.