Reality check on 4-day week: 95% of Singapore employers say ‘no’
SNEF poll unveils reasons such as higher costs and need for round-the-clock operations
SOME 95 per cent of employers in Singapore have said they will not implement a four-day work week in their organisations, based on a poll conducted by the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF).
The survey found that employers were hesitant to implement a four-day work week because their business operations need to be run round the clock.
Other reasons against the idea included being unable to increase productivity to compensate for the reduction in manpower, as well as higher costs, said SNEF in a statement on Friday (Nov 1).
Among those opposed to four-day work weeks, 79 per cent (260 employers) said “no” outright; 16 per cent said they would not do it, but were open to considering it.
The poll, which ran from Sep 30 to Oct 7, surveyed 330 employers. For the purposes of the study, SNEF defined a four-day work week as a schedule under which employees work four days a week totalling up to 36 hours, instead of the usual five days for up to 44 hours. Compensation would be the same as if the employees were working five-day weeks.
Sim Gim Guan, executive director at SNEF, said: “These results reflect the realities many employers face in today’s tight labour market and competitive business environment.”
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
Only 18 per cent of the respondents said they would implement a four-day work week. Their reasons to go for it included wanting to improve their employees’ well-being, among others.
Sim added: “While a small proportion of employers are in favour of implementing a four-day work week in their organisation... the operational feasibility and economic implications make it a challenging proposition to meet their business needs.”
Within the manufacturing sector, 84 per cent of the respondents said they would not implement the shorter work week. The remaining 16 per cent would not implement it, but could consider the option.
In the non-manufacturing segment, only 7 per cent of the 330 respondents said they would implement it. The rest said they would not, but some indicated that they would consider it.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
