What work-life balance? 78% of Singaporeans feel burnt out

Employees say they have “too much work.”

Singapore seems to still be far away in terms of giving employees work-life harmony, as 78% of them still complain of being burnt out from their jobs.
 
Burnout is mostly felt by Gen X (83%), and women and caregivers (80%), according to data from a study by EngageRocket and National Trades Union CongressU Women and Family (NTUC U WAF)
 
The majority (80%) of employees surveyed said they also force themselves to report to work even when they are unwell because they either have no one to cover for them or they still have too much work to do.

READ MORE: Singapore named most overworked country in APAC
 
To address the problem, the study suggested that organisations establish and exhibit healthy boundaries at work. One way to do so is by giving leave benefits, which 61% of employees also cited as crucial for work-life harmony.
 
Allowing flexiwork (56%), giving management support (55%), and implementing a  scheme of communication (43%) would also allow for a good work-life balance.

READ MORE: Here are four strategies to improve employee retention

“Going forward, organisations may need to cater to their workforce’s work-life harmony in a tailored manner, which brings about the need for accurate and scientifically proven ways to collect employee feedback,” Engage Rocket said.
 
“After which, actions must be taken if employers wish to improve work-life harmony at their workplaces. Ultimately, for this to happen, managers must be empowered to convert insights into action to overcome the challenges and help employees achieve better work-life harmony,” the HR expert added.

The survey had a respondent pool of 3,332 employees across 10 industries and was conducted in March 2022.