More employees in Singapore eye shorter workweek

More employees in Singapore are showing stronger desires for more flexibility in their work arrangements and time.
By: | April 3, 2024
Topics: Employee Experience | Hybrid Working | News | Singapore | Talent Management

Almost one in three employees in Singapore believe that a four-day workweek will become the norm in the next five years.

This was the key finding of the People at Work survey conducted by payroll and HR solution provider ADP, which saw 32% of respondents see the four-day workweek as the trend that would become popular. Other trends that saw popularity amongst employees in Singapore included hybrid working models (34%) and full flexibility over hours based on productivity and results metrics (32%).

Employees in Singapore also shared that their employers already offer a four-day workweek to their employees in a bid to promote positive mental health at work. This is the highest percentage in the Asia-Pacific region (APAC) among countries like Australia (11%), China (14%) and India (20%). Meanwhile, nearly seven in 10 (67%) employees in Singapore have also expressed that they have some or complete flexibility over their working arrangements.

While employees in Singapore might be able to exercise flexibility over their working arrangements, more employees believe that more can still be done, with less than half of the respondents from Singapore sharing a lack of satisfaction with their flexibility of hours (46%) or location (47%) — the lowest in the APAC region.

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Yvonne Teo, Vice President of HR APAC at ADP, shared that the four-day work week is gaining popularity within the region for its potential benefits like improved work-life balance, increased productivity and reduced burnout. “Our research shows Singapore employees value flexibility as the third most important factor to them in a job, after salary and job security. Employers today must offer flexible working arrangements to attract and retain talent.”

She also added that more flexibility could be done when it came to creating flexible work arrangements. “Employees who desire flexible work arrangements should be proactive and have open conversations with managers to work out the best solutions.”