Malaysian Workers Aren’t Getting Enough Time with Their Families
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 October 2013- According to a recent JobStreet.com survey, 63 per cent of Malaysian workers surveyed revealed they have not been spending enough time with their family due to long working hours. Nearly 70 percent spend two to five hours working beyond their official work hours every day.
The main reason respondents gave for working overtime was unreasonable deadlines and an overloading of work. With greater pressures on workers to complete their task, spending time in office easily goes beyond the 9 to 5 office hours. Nearly 75 per cent choose to stay late at the office to complete their heavy workloads. The majority of respondents also stated they are not getting paid for the extra hours they put in.
Approximately 60 per cent also indicated their company is not carrying out any initiatives to promote work-life balance. One respondent said, “Even if my company has work-life balance initiatives such as an on-site gym, a chill-out area and other organized social activities. It’s there in place just for show as we don’t even have sufficient manpower to sustain the workload.”
The survey also revealed some interesting facts:
- 54 per cent indicated they do take their annual leaves entitlement, but almost all responded that they still get emergency texts from their bosses.
- Only 25 per cent indicated they do not get any interruptions from work during their holiday.
- 78 per cent leave their handphone contactable by their boss all the time.
Respondents were asked to give their ideas on what needs to be done in order to enjoy a more balanced work life. The majority of workers feel companies need to provide flexible work time, where employees can choose from a range of start and end times to work each day instead of a fixed work slot. Another suggestion is that companies should have a work policy encouraging employees to work less than 40 hours a week, rather than making it compulsory to work from 9-6 daily.
“Work-life balance is about effectively managing between work and other activities that are important to us. Companies should improve their work-life balance strategy for staff as it is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to keep them engaged, recharged, and motivated. Without it, the red zone of stress, burnout, and absenteeism can drain productivity and performance of company,” said Ms. Chook Yuh Yng, country manager of JobStreet.com.
Note: A total of 954 employees across various industries in Malaysia participated in this survey conducted in September 2013.
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About JobStreet.com
JobStreet.com ( www.jobstreet.com ) is a leading online recruitment company presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. The Group currently services over 80,000 corporate customers and over 11 million jobseekers in its database. JobStreet.com is listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities (JOBST).
Disclaimer
This document is based on information obtained from our survey and we do not make any representation or warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. This document is prepared for general circulation and republication is allowed provided JobStreet.com is mentioned as the contributor. This document is not to be taken in substitution for the exercise of judgment by addressees. JobStreet.com accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this document or further communication given in relation to this document.
Media Contacts:
Debby Ho
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JobStreet.com
Tel:03-21760482 Fax: 03-26987200
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