"I QUIT": 49% of Singaporeans want to leave their jobs

Over 49% of the Singapore workforce is considering leaving their employer in 2021, according to a Microsoft report.

With hybrid work trends becoming a norm due to the pandemic, Microsoft found that over 49% of the Singapore workforce are planning to leave their employer this year.

This is according to its first annual Work Trend Index, which had a respondent pool of more than 30,000 people in 31 countries, including Singapore. The study also based its analyses on data from Microsoft 365 and LinkedIn.

Singapore business leaders should not see hybrid work as a “business as usual” scenario, Microsoft said, and should still practice empathy and flexibility towards its employees.

“As businesses adapt to the disruptive change, business leaders must recognize that long-held assumptions no longer hold true with their employees. They must now make choices that will impact their organizations for years to come. Business leaders now need to dig deeper to think about shaping their culture to attract and retain talent, foster collaboration and innovation,and deliver on the extreme flexibility that employees need,” said Joanna Lim, Modern Work and Security Business Group Lead for Microsoft Singapore .

More than 82% of Singaporean workers want flexible remote work options to stay, whilst 66% crave more in-person time with their teams. Among business leaders, 62% are likely to redesign their office spaces for remote work.

Whilst 51% of Singapore business leaders say that they are thriving, only 27% of employees without decision making power feel the same way.

The work force is also getting tired despite the potential high productivity garnered from hybrid workspaces, Microsoft found, with 58% of workers feeling overworked and 49% feeling exhausted.

Approximately 70% of Gen Z workers, those between the ages of 18 to 25, say that they are merely surviving or flat-out struggling with work.

To address these woes, Microsot suggested that business leaders recognize their employees’ digital exhaustion, encourage regular breaks, and empower people for extreme flexibility.

Microsoft also suggested redesigning workplaces for teams to feel a sense of belonging and stay connected regardless of how they choose to work.