Nearly 2 in 3 Singapore workers feel pressure to be ‘always-on’ even as workplaces become more flexible, according to study

SINGAPORE: About a third of Singapore workers may have reported more flexibility and better work-life balance, but it seems this flexibility has not made work feel any lighter when expectations around availability aren’t so clear.

According to JobStreet by SEEK’s latest Singapore Workplace Culture study conducted in partnership with Milieu Insight, which surveyed 600 employees and jobseekers and 200 employers and hiring decision-makers, despite work becoming more flexible, nearly two in three (63%) of workers in the city-state feel the need to be “always-on” almost every day (32%) or a few times a week (31%).

The study described being “always-on” as being responsive and reachable, including outside working hours.

The report, however, noted that flexibility has “not caused” the “always-on” work culture, but that it is more about “when work happens across different times and places, the boundaries around availability can become less visible.”

At the same time, wider pressures, from AI and automation to economic uncertainty and the rising cost of living, are changing how workers view job security, performance and what it takes to succeed, the report said.

Surveyed workers facing these pressures were found to be most concerned about salary growth and the cost of living (60%), as well as job security and stability (48%).

“In this environment, responsiveness can become a visible way to demonstrate commitment,” it added.

Workers experiencing the always-on pressure said they respond to requests quickly (63%), remain available even outside working hours (52%), and take initiative (32%). Nearly half (45%) said the pressure to always be available is just part of work culture, while others said their managers expect them to be available (35%), or that they just have too much workload to finish on time (32%).

To protect their time, 26% said they only work intensely when needed.

Nearly nine in 10 (85%) employers, on the other hand, said their organisations expect employees to always be available often (62%) or somewhat often (23%). Nearly half said this is simply part of work culture (46%), while others said leaders expect it (41%), it is due to workload (40%), or it drives business outcomes (39%).

Workers, however, said this way of working has reduced their energy (63%) and job satisfaction (47%). It also didn’t make much difference to their career progression (62%) or recognition at work (59%). While 30% said it improved their quality of work, 52% saw no difference and 18% said their quality of work had declined.

Workers believe the “always-on” culture is unsustainable (22%) because of burnout, with 11% already wanting to opt out but unable to. Others, meanwhile, are already looking for a way out (10%) of this kind of work. Still, 6% believe this is how they can get ahead.

While 81% of employers recognise the long-term downside to this work culture, unfortunately, 48% have no plans to introduce related policies in the foreseeable future.

The report added that both employees (55%) and employers (45%) recognise that both sides contribute equally to the “always-on” work culture. However, shared responsibility does not mean identical responsibility, it added. /TISG

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