Stressed and overworked: Are Singapore employees condemned to burnout?

The statistics are downright awful.

Over the last few years, numerous surveys and studies have confirmed what we always knew – Singapore employees are stressed, overworked, sleep-deprived and burnt out.

Not only do we clock the longest hours a week in the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region, new research shows that nearly a quarter of us are always working past official hours. No wonder we’re the most sleep-deprived and fatigued in the world.

Even the need to look after one’s well-being has become a source of stress for people, with athletic apparel company Lululemon’s annual Global Wellbeing Report this week saying that Singapore is among the top three markets in South-east Asia with the highest levels of well-being burnout. Respondents say pressure points include overwhelming societal expectations to appear well.

So for all the talk about prioritising workers’ welfare, the situation seems pretty dire.

A case in point is Yvonne (not her real name), a lawyer in her early 30s. She fully accepted the demands that came with the remuneration in her law firm job, but her real struggle was in meeting her manager’s high expectations.

“There was constant pressure to over-deliver, over-anticipate and over-think, to ensure everything is covered and better than perfect,” she recalls of her burnout and despair, when she was working “minimally” 12 to 14 hours a day. “It was a never-ending loop.”

Subsequently, a co-worker resigned, leaving more on her plate.

“It’s one thing to manage clients’ expectations but another to manage even higher expectations from your boss,” she says, adding that her team was already “quite stress resilient”. “Managing my manager’s state of mind, my sense of powerlessness and feeling trapped, the combination was quite lethal.”

How did we get here? 

Singapore workers are known for their strong work ethic and dedication, which can lead to high stress levels as the societal focus on perfection pressures workers to excel in their roles, says Sriram Iyer, adjunct senior lecturer at the Department of Management and Organisation, National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. “A mismatch between job demand and supply can also create job insecurity, driving people to work longer hours and take on more responsibilities,” he says.

Further, employers are constantly seeking to increase productivity in response to rising global inflation rates, putting additional pressure on workers to do more with less workforce support. “Finally, with the focus on redesigning jobs and transitioning workers from one role to another, people often spend considerable time and effort adjusting to new roles and work activities, which can be overwhelming at times, thereby leading to many extra hours of effort.”

Another major contributor is the significant amount of unpaid overtime, says Jessica Zhang, senior vice-president for the Asia-Pacific at human resources management solutions firm, ADP.

“Our People At Work 2024 survey shows that Singapore employees clock an average of eight additional, unpaid hours per week, often due to staying late or working through lunch breaks, leading to insufficient time to rest and recharge,” she notes.

Technology also plays a part. Yvonne points out that the ease of contacting employees, hopping on video calls from wherever they are and quickly pulling information from devices means timelines are compressed. “We’re expected to have something on the table by the close of business,” she says. “Previously, people didn’t expect that kind of turnaround time.”

Flexi-work arrangements: good or bad? 

From Dec 1, employers must have a process to fairly consider formal requests for flexible work arrangements (FWAs).

FWAs, such as remote work or flexible working hours, allow employees to balance work and personal life by prioritising physical activities, family and caregiving responsibilities and self-care, without compromising their professional commitments, says Dr Iyer. “This balance ultimately leads to happier and more productive employees. That’s why FWAs sound promising in fostering a healthier work culture.”

That said, one of the main challenges of flexi-work is the need to impose some structure on the boundary between work and non-work, says his NUS Business School colleague, Assistant Professor Ong Wei  Jee.

For instance, in jobs with greater autonomy over one’s schedule, working from home can blur the lines between work and personal life, making it harder to disconnect. “This constant mental juggling of responsibilities, whether work-related or not, can lead to cognitive strain and decision fatigue,” he says.

Tellingly, ADP’s survey found that almost half (49 per cent) of Singapore employees feel judged for using FWAs.

In order that employees do not feel obligated to remain available after hours, companies should implement clear communication protocols and establish expectations around availability, says Zhang.

Right to disconnect: an antidote?

Speaking of availability, Australia’s new right-to-disconnect laws came into effect late last month. A recent survey by job portal Indeed shows that 80 per cent of employees here say they should have the right to disconnect after hours. Last week, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said teachers are not required to share their personal phone numbers or respond to work-related messages after school hours.

But while a right-to-disconnect law can provide crucial protection in extreme cases of employer overreach, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. For one thing, Singapore-based businesses often work with partners, clients and stakeholders across different time zones, especially in sectors such as finance, logistics and technology. This means communication and quick response times are crucial outside typical working hours, says Zhang, noting that the fear of disconnecting from work stems from a work culture where constant availability is often equated with dedication, and fast response with productivity.

Indeed, the pressure to overwork often originates in social factors and deeply ingrained cultural norms, such as keeping up with peers or maintaining a good reputation, Asst Prof Ong points out. “This is a complex cultural phenomenon rooted in individual values and cannot be easily solved by legislation alone,” he says, adding that employers must actively discourage a culture of overwork by recognising and rewarding performance based on outcomes, not just hours logged or perceived dedication.

A way forward?

Research shows that Singapore employers need to do more, as less than half (46 per cent) of workers feel they receive enough mental health support from managers, and only half feel supported by their colleagues, says Zhang. Yet, highly stressed employees are much more likely to report that they can’t perform their job to the best of their ability.

“Given the close link between stress and productivity, employers should pay close attention to workplace stress,” she says.

Managers and supervisors should lead by example by encouraging their team members to take breaks, use their annual leave and prioritise their mental and physical health, says Dr Iyer. “This mindset shift requires a fundamental understanding that employees’ well-being directly impacts their productivity and overall performance at work.”

Additionally, promoting open communication and regular check-ins with employees to assess their workload, stress levels and well-being can create a more supportive and understanding work culture. “These initiatives can change how we perceive and approach disconnecting from work, reducing the risk of burnout and improving overall job satisfaction,” he says.

While bosses should be cognisant of their implicit responsibility to provide a safe environment for staff, be respectful of individual needs and adopt a give-and-take attitude, employees can also set expectations right, says Paul Heng, founder and managing director of NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia.

“One of the things you can do is to not respond to messages after your office hours,” he suggests. “If you do this religiously, your colleagues and bosses will get it. They might continue to send stuff to you, but they are likely to accept that they will not be receiving a response."

Ultimately, Heng feels the level of stress and burnout can be mitigated. “The question to ask oneself is, ‘what is the worst case scenario if…’. Many times, it will not be that drastic or livelihood impacting,” he says. “At the end of the day, it’s just a job that pays the bills and supports one’s preferred lifestyle. Surely, it cannot be at the expense of your health, which you need, to take care of your loved ones and maintain your sanity.”

This was exactly the conclusion Yvonne came to after seeking therapy and trying to claw herself out of her “pit of burnout”. About four-and-a-half years into her job, she left without another one lined up. Today, she’s working as an in-house legal counsel, where pay increments are expected to fall behind those who remain at law firms.

But she’s happier.

“I work with good people and am learning new things, though fundamentally, it’s just a job,” she shrugs. “I have a much better work-life balance and state of mind.”

Source: Business Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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