Nearly 70% of employers in Singapore say 4-day work week feasible, poll shows

SINGAPORE - Nearly seven in 10 employers in Singapore think the four-day work week is a feasible concept, according to a recent poll.

This puts Singapore in the middle of the pack among 11 Asian markets surveyed, including Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea, as conversations around flexible work arrangements are becoming more prevalent worldwide.

The same proportion of employers (69 per cent) believes such an arrangement could improve productivity levels, said recruitment firm Robert Walters on Sept 24.

Employees are far more enthusiastic, with 93 per cent of them saying they would like their employer to implement a four-day work week trial.

When it comes to cementing the arrangement, employers here are more cautious than their South-east Asian peers. Only 18 per cent of Singapore employers said that they have plans to or are considering a transition to a four-day work week within the next two years, compared with the regional average of 37 per cent.

About two in 10 employers here said they are willing to offer more flexible work hours on Fridays, and a similar proportion were open to a 4½-day work week.

The survey, conducted in March and April 2024, covered more than 5,000 professionals and companies.

The acceptance level was highest in Malaysia, where 79 per cent of employers said a four-day work week is a feasible concept, followed by Thailand (77 per cent) and the Philippines (75 per cent). On the other end of the spectrum were Vietnam (54 per cent) and Japan (56 per cent).

The idea of a four-day work week has gained traction in recent years, with large-scale trials in some other countries. In Britain, for instance, a six-month pilot in 2022 involving 61 organisations and around 2,900 workers had mixed results. Half the employers made the change permanent.

In Belgium, since 2022, employees can choose to work four longer days in place of a five-day work week, for the same pay.

Singapore workers itching to lengthen their weekends will soon have a more structured avenue to get their requests heard. Employers must fairly consider formal requests for flexi-work from Dec 1, under the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests launched earlier in 2024.

But the Government has stressed that flexi-work does not equal a four-day work week, as there are other types of arrangements such as part-time work, working from home and staggered working hours that can be agreed on.

According to the Robert Walters survey, professionals here who wanted a four-day work week mostly felt it would give them better work-life balance and more time for family.

Still, a sizeable share felt it would be more stressful having to cram the same amount of work into fewer days.

Commenting on the findings, Institute for Human Resource Professionals chief executive Aslam Sardar said that Singapore employers’ greater hesitancy to switch to a four-day work week compared with regional peers may stem from factors such as the competitive business environment here.

Businesses may be worried about a potential impact on their operations, and difficulty in implementation for certain industries or job roles. From the human resources perspective, there will be a crucial need for significant organisational and cultural changes, as well as a look at how digitisation, automation and job redesign can fit into the strategic shift, said Mr Sardar.

“Whilst the flexibility of a four-day work week is intended to incorporate work-life harmony for employees, it can also lead to an initial adjustment period that may temporarily impact productivity,” he said. 

The success of such an arrangement largely depends on careful planning, clear communication, and a willingness to adapt based on feedback and results, added Mr Sardar.

“Organisations considering this model should conduct thorough assessments of their specific needs and challenges before implementation.”

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.