Only 5% of Singapore employers surveyed would potentially implement a four-day workweek

"These results reflect the realities many employers face in today’s tight labour market and competitive business environment," said Sim Gim Guan, Executive Director at SNEF.   

About eight in 10 (95%) employers surveyed in Singapore have expressed no interest in implementing a four-day workweek across their organisations, according to a recent poll by the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).

The poll, carried out from 30 September to 7 October 2024, sought to find out the receptiveness of employers towards implementing a four-day work week. Of the 330 employers who responded, only 18, or about 5%, indicated the potential implement a four-day workweek.

According to the survey results, the top three reasons cited by employers across sectors and employment sizes for not implementing a four-day workweek are as follows:  

• Business operations do not permit it (e.g., the business runs 24/7). 
• Inability to increase productivity to offset the reduction in capacity. 
• Higher costs due to additional manpower needed to fill gaps. 

Sim Gim Guan, Executive Director, SNEF, commented: "These results reflect the realities many employers face in today’s tight labour market and competitive business environment. 

"While a small proportion of employers are in favour of implementing a four-day workweek in their organisation, our findings indicate that for most employers, the operational feasibility and economic implications make it a challenging proposition to meet their business needs." 

Among the small number of employers polled who plan to implement (5%) or are interested in implementing (16%) a four-day work week, their top three reasons are: 

1. Strengthening their employee value proposition 
2. Improving employees' wellbeing 
3. Enhancing job satisfaction 

READ MORE: MOM addresses employers' concerns on Singapore's Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests 

Lead image / SNEF Facebook