Most Singaporean employees are mentally exhausted: Survey

Most Singaporean employees are mentally exhausted: Survey
PHOTO: Most Singaporean employees are mentally exhausted: Survey

SINGAPORE - More than 125 Singaporeans are mentally exhausted, JobStreet has reported. Out of these, more than half said stress was a main cause of mental fatigue.

In a June survey JobStreet conducted a survey with over 250 Singaporean employees on the subject of employee health at work. 60 per cent of them said they felt mentally exhausted due to stress, depression, and other factors.

While 55 per cent said stress was the main cause of their mental fatigue, 38 per cent also attributed it to a lack of exercise. Only seven per cent identified poor diet and chronic illness as the main factors.

In the survey, 98 per cent of Singaporean employees said they did not take more than 14 days of sick leave in a year. Most employees surveyed took between one and 10 days of sick leave annually. The majority of employees (70 per cent) indicated that they did not apply for sick leave when feeling unwell but are still fit for work.

Most of the employees also made average claims of less than $500 in medical expenses from their company each year. Only seven per cent claimed above $500 in medical expenses.

A whopping 80 per cent also said that their companies did not provide any incentives to reward a low sick leave rate.

Amongst companies who do reward staff with a low sick leave rate, cash was identified as the most popular incentive.Most companies offered between $150 and $300 in cash incentives. Other incentives include time-off from work and gift vouchers.

In a separate JobStreet survey conducted in June, it was found that the most popular wellness programme  among employees was free or subsidized health screening. Other popular wellness programs offered include on-site fitness programs and subsidized gym memberships.

However, among the employees whose companies do offer wellness programs, only a minority said they utilised them.

Seventy per cent of employees did not have the chance to utilise the wellness programmes provided due to lack of time and an overwhelming workload.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

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