‘Half of workers would quit’ if forced to go into office more
Half of Singapore workers say they would leave jobs requiring them to work in the office more often, with Gen Z employees most likely to feel this way, a survey has found.
Two-thirds of the respondents also committed to significant life choices, such as moving homes, with the expectation that they could continue having flexible work arrangements after the pandemic.
The results of the biannual survey conducted late last year by Randstad, a human resources firm, were released on Monday. About 760 Singapore-based workers and jobseekers aged between 18 and 67 took part in the study between October and November.
In the survey, 49 per cent of respondents said they would leave jobs that required them to spend more time at the office. Nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z respondents agreed with the statement.
Most Gen Z workers also said they would not work for a business that did not provide sufficiently flexible working hours – 68 per cent – as well as location – 61 per cent. Forty-two per cent of respondents said they would not accept a job that was too inflexible.
However, 67 per cent reported that their employers had become stricter about working from the office. Gen Z and millennials felt this more acutely, at 74 per cent and 72 per cent respectively. Among the respondents, 26 per cent have quit their jobs because of the lack of work flexibility.
Work-life balance is also becoming a higher priority for employees, with 95 per cent of respondents saying this is important for current and future jobs, compared to 90 per cent who said pay was important. More respondents prioritised work-life balance over salaries, even as inflation and the rising cost of living continued to be concerns.
Flexible work has become a hot-button issue in the city state since the government announced last week that all employers must have a process in place for workers to make formal requests for flexible work arrangements from December. The government has also highlighted the need for flexible work arrangements in a tight labour market and ageing workforce, especially with more people taking on caregiving roles at home.
Jaya Dass, managing director of permanent recruitment at Randstad, said organisations must equip their middle managers with the ability to better understand what flexible work looks like, and offer that support to their teams.
“[Workers] are seeking growth and development rather than career progression,” she said.
Archana Srinivasan, a human resources director of a private company and a senior professional from the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, said the Covid-19 pandemic had changed how flexible work arrangements were offered.
She said members of Gen Z had come to expect this, given that they had likely spent most of their working life in the post-pandemic era.
Workers in Singapore were also in a “very good place” to demand or expect such flexible work options because of the element of trust between employers and employees, she said.
“At the end of the day, what matters is the output, so I would say that’s what’s changed.”
Meanwhile, the survey respondents also expressed concerns about social and environmental issues in their workplace.
Thirty-seven per cent said they would not join a firm if it did not take steps to go green. This was especially true for the younger generation, with 67 per cent of Gen Z respondents expressing the strongest desire to work for companies that were making a proactive effort to be sustainable.
Thirty-nine per cent said they would not accept a job if the employer did not promote diversity and inclusivity.
Family leave, a diverse workforce and gender pay equity were among the most important equity, diversity and inclusion policies that respondents wanted in their current and future workplaces.