Singapore ranks 32 out of 40 in study on work-life balance
Singapore is in the bottom quarter of 40 cities when it comes to work-life balance, according to a new study released yesterday.
It is in 32nd place, though it is ranked higher than the other three Asian cities considered - Hong Kong, Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. This is in part due to the huge amount of time that people here dedicate to their jobs.
Singapore was ranked second highest for work intensity, which considers factors such as vacation days taken, paid maternal and parental leave, and the share of full-time employees working more than 48 hours in a working week.
Top of the list were Helsinki, Munich and Oslo, while the bottom three were Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Buenos Aires.
The cities were selected to include those known for attracting professionals and families for their work opportunities and lifestyle offerings, said keyless access technology company Kisi, which published the study.
Besides work intensity factors, these also included factors related to society and institutions, such as gender equality and access to mental healthcare; and city liveability factors such as safety, outdoor spaces and air pollutants.
Kisi chief executive Bernhard Mehl hopes the study highlights the need for more research into optimising the well-being of citizens in order to counter the psychological and economic costs of workplace stress.
"Despite living in an era where unprecedented advancements have been made in technology and connectivity, we have failed to address the most everyday aspect of enhancing our everyday lives - finding the balance between work and leisure," he said.
The average full-time employee worked just 38.9 hours a week in Oslo, compared with 46 hours in Kuala Lumpur and 44.6 hours in Singapore.
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