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More than 92% of workers in Singapore are experiencing burnout, with 30% looking at career switch as resolution

More than 92% of workers in Singapore are experiencing burnout, with 30% looking at career switch as resolution

The burnout is mainly attributed to increased workloads (49%), pressure to meet deadlines (37%), and long working hours (33%).

More than nine in 10 (92%) workers in Singapore are experiencing burnout, with nine in 25 (36%) reporting high or extreme levels. Their burnout, which was part of a research study in HCM technology provider Ceridian's 2022 Pulse of Talent report, is mainly attributed to increased workloads (49%), pressure to meet deadlines (37%), and long working hours (33%).

It was further revealed that with high burnout levels, close to two in five Singapore respondents are "less focused" (37%), and "losing interest" (33%) in their work. This makes a proportion of workers a "flight risk" as they are looking at changing jobs (30%), and taking sick leave/leave of absence (29%) to resolve their negative experience. That said, seven in 20 of them (38%) still prefer to engage in wellness activities to curb burnout their experiences.

Commenting on the findings, Rob Squires, Vice President & Head of Sales, Asia & Japan, Ceridian said: "The world of work has changed, and now is the time for employers to rethink how they approach employee mental health and wellbeing.

"In addition to being the right thing to do, a healthy and engaged workforce is essential to the growth of any organisation in today’s increasingly borderless, fluid, and always-on world of work. It’s never been more important for employers to deliver programmes that support wellness, and the benefits workers want and need most."

Comparing Singapore's statistics against a global backdrop, more than three in five workers (61%) across the globe reported experiencing burnout. As to what are causing their burnouts, the top three factors global respondents had cited were as follows:

  1. Increased workload (46%);
  2. Mental health challenges (34%), and
  3. Pressure to meet targets/deadlines (30%).

Approximately a third (33%) of workers who reported experiencing burnout were found to be less focused, with a similar proportion of workers (31%) said they have been losing interest in work. That said, only a small number of workers in Australia, the United States, or Germany are looking to address it via a change of jobs. Workers in those nations are looking at wellness activities, taking sick leave/leave of absence, and accessibility to mental health services.

What's interesting is more than one in 10 (14%) workers across the globe claimed burnout hasn’t impacted their productivity at all.

Looking at mental health

With workers experiencing levels of burnout, the report shared that this serves as "a clear opportunity for employers to better support mental health and wellness". What then are employers doing for the mental health and wellness front?

The top three things global workers say their employers offer are:

  • Employee assistance programmes (36%);
  • Flexibility in work (30%), and
  • Manager check-ins (25%).

While these are positive trends, the 2022 Pulse of Talent report did observe a discrepancy between what workers want, and what organisations are providing. Across the globe, workers want more mental health days (41%), more flexibility over their time (40%), and higher benefits coverage (31%). Of note, more than three in 20 of workers (19%) say their employers aren’t doing anything to support health and wellness.

In terms of Singapore numbers, workers feel their employers are currently supporting their mental health and wellness mainly through flexible schedules (33%) and employee assistance programmes (30%). Nearly one-quarter of respondents (23%), however, didn’t feel their employers were offering any support for their mental health and wellness.

ALSO READTop five factors that could decrease employee productivity in 2022: COVID-19, mental health issues, and more


The 2022 Pulse of Talent report was prepared by Ceridian and Hanover Research, which surveyed 6,898 workers above the age of 18 at companies with at least 100 employees across Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Image / Ceridian

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

Follow us on Telegram and on Instagram @humanresourcesonline for all the latest HR and manpower news from around the region!

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