Covid work arrangements leading cause of unhappiness for employees in South East Asia
Happiness at the workplace across South East Asia is mixed, with most working professionals stating that their salary and relationships with their colleagues are crucial to their emotions.
This highlights that not all companies have succeeded in adapting their work arrangements to a post-Covid world
80% of working professionals across SEA feel that they have a sense of belonging within their company and 78% agree that their companies give them what they need to do their job effectively, according to a survey by Milieu Insight.
“It was fascinating to see that ‘relationships at work’ ranked so high as a driver of happiness, and that it ranked as high as their salary. As we approach two years of living with the effects of Covid-19, employees are beginning to desire stronger connections with their colleagues, even if those connections must be nurtured remotely,” said Stephen Tracy, chief operating officer of Milieu Insight.
“Business leaders shouldn’t overlook the importance of cultivating strong employee relationships and succeeding with this requires more than a subscription to collaboration tools like Zoom or Teams.”
What does the survey say?
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35% of working professionals stated that they are happier than a year ago, while 26% said they are less happy, and the remaining 39% indicated no change.
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Respondents in Thailand were more likely to be less happy at work than a year ago (45%). In contrast, respondents in Indonesia and the Philippines were more likely to be happier today than a year ago (44% for both countries).
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Current work arrangements, such as having a flexible work schedule, also ranked high, with 35% of respondents selecting this. Notably current work arrangements also ranked first as the leading cause of unhappiness.
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This highlights that not all companies have succeeded in adapting their work arrangements to a post-Covid world, or that some employees are less open to work-from-home arrangements.