Singapore's workplaces rife with bullied and battered employees: survey

It finished second-to-last globally in terms of inclusion and diversity.

Singapore may be the world’s most competitive economy but it’s workplace environment has some shaping up to do as it finished second-to-last globally when it comes to inclusion and diversity, with employees recording one of the highest levels of bullying and discomfort, revealed the latest survey by data insights and consulting firm Kantar.

Singaporean employees report one of the highest levels of bullying (24%) in comparison to other countries surveyed, according to Kantar’s Inclusion Index, which benchmarks employee experiences across the world based on a number of criteria such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age,

The island state also topped the list of countries where people are most likely to be made to ‘feel uncomfortable’ (32%) by their employers, higher than the overall sectors' average of 25%.

Also read: Over half of Singapore's workforce unsatisfied with their current job: report

The results of the study showed that many Singaporeans are struggling to deal with pressure, with 44% reporting that they are affected by ‘stress and anxiety’ at work, higher than the global average of 39%. Almost half (49%) of the working population feel that their company should support them more when they are dealing with the health concerns, said Kantar.

The Index surveyed 18,000 people in 14 countries and working in 24 different industries to produce a new global standard in marking progress towards achieving equality and inclusive ways of working. The Inclusion Index creates a benchmark to help companies move the ‘inclusion and diversity’ conversation from ‘counting heads’ to ‘making each head count’.

Geographically, Canada tops the Inclusion Index. The North American country boasted good gender representation at senior levels (over 40% female), and 65% of Canadians surveyed believe that their companies are actively trying to be more inclusive and diverse and supporting all employees regardless of who they are.

USA followed with its strong equal representation in terms of gender at senior leadership, and 30% representation at senior leadership in terms of ethnicity. 63% of Americans believe that their companies are actively trying to be more inclusive and diverse and 67% stated that their companies support all employees regardless of who they are. In both countries bullying was also prevalent, with about 20% of Canadians and 17% of Americans experiencing bullying in the past year.