94% of hybrid workers in Singapore suffer from stress, says Cigna
A big majority (94%) of Singaporean employees with a hybrid work arrangement are suffering from “virtual overload or fatigue,” according to a study by insurance firm Cigna.
In a poll of 1,001 Singapore-based respondents, the research found that 90% of employees are attributing this stress to having to work outside normal hours at least once a week.
The findings come as Singapore emerged as the strongest champion of hybrid work across the Asia-Pacific region, with leaders there being more open to granting complete flexibility to employees. The national government is even urging companies to embrace workplace flexibility, citing its benefits to recruitment, retention, and workforce engagement.
Larisa Beckhouse, head of Insights International Markets at Cigna, said that their findings highlight the “pros and cons” of hybrid work.
“While many employees in Singapore desire the flexibility of hybrid work, they are also struggling with [an] increased workload, virtual fatigue, and reduced interaction with co-workers,” Beckhouse stated.
Cigna’s report also showed that stress had prompted 35% of survey respondents to switch employers over the past year, with another 34% preparing to look for a new job in the next 12 months.
Beckhouse said that the solution to this problem is “not only in finding the most effective split or schedule of remote and in-office working but understanding what employees need to help them combat stress and burnout as well as improving engagement with their work and colleagues.”
Cigna Singapore CEO Raymond Ng added that employers must start offering “well-being support that better match employees’ expectations, or risk losing productivity and talent.”
