58% Malaysians Have Experienced Burnout in the Last 3 Months

According to Employment Hero's Employee Movement and Retention report from September 2021, 61 per cent of Malaysian workers plan to hunt for a new job within the next 12 months. 

Recently, Employment Hero published the Wellness Report 2022. It asked Malaysians about the continuing impacts of Covid-19, how financial stress affects their workday, how fulfilled they are by their work and more. The survey polled over 1,000 Malaysian workers between Feb 28 and Mar 7, 2022.

Here are the findings:

The majority of employees are experiencing work burnout

Burnout spreads like wildfire among the working population. Workers have recently experienced excessive fatigue, with 58 per cent reporting that it has impacted them in the last three months. Only 15 per cent were certain that they did not experience work-related burnout.

Many people are questioning the role of careers in the face of the pandemic

Fifty per cent of workers feel that Covid-19 has reduced the importance they have on their jobs. In line with the Great Resignation phenomenon, more people may be looking for a job change or a new way of working. This could be due to the fact that 51 per cent say Covid-19 has hurt their careers.

Many people who switched to remote working during the outbreak are now thinking about how work can fit around their lives instead of how their lives can support their work.

The majority of employees are concerned about their financial situation

Malaysian employees are concerned about their finances, whether it is due to a loss of employment, the unpredictability of the pandemic, or growing inflation. Money was a source of stress for 67 per cent of respondents.

Employees are loyal to companies that care about their health

Employees who evaluated their employer's commitment to wellbeing as good were 32 per cent more likely to be loyal to a company. Those dissatisfied with their employer's dedication to wellness were 280 per cent more likely to say they did not feel loyal to their employer.

This might save a large amount of money on turnover charges and make all the difference for a growing business.

Burnout

In the last three months, most workers (58%) have reported feeling burned out at work. Younger age groups appear to be more vulnerable, with 18-24-year-olds and 24-35-year-olds being 20 per cent more likely to be burned out.

Employees who reported a poor work-life balance in the previous three months were 45 per cent more likely to feel burned out. Those who felt burned out were 9 per cent more likely to report low productivity. Less productive employees were 278 per cent more likely to experience a lack of work-life balance.

Source: Employment Hero

Over half of Malaysian companies are committed to mental health

Fifty-two per cent of employees now believe their firm supports their mental health. However, when Employment Hero posed the same question in their February 2021 Mental Health in the Workplace Report, 56 per cent agreed. Could companies be shifting their focus away from mental health after the pandemic's peak?

When it compared additional data year on year, mental health support became more out of reach for employees.

Employees who are uncomfortable addressing mental health in the workplace have climbed from 47 per cent to 50 per cent, as have those who agree that there is no funding for mental health support services at their company, which has increased from 42 per cent to 51 per cent. 

The proportion of Malaysian employees who agree that they refuse to report mental health issues for fear of repercussions has risen from 34 per cent to 49 per cent, while the proportion who agree that they don't know how to approach HR or their boss about mental health has risen from 33 per cent to 50 per cent.

Mental health strategies

Regular exercise was cited by more than half of employees (51%) as the most effective method for relieving stress during the pandemic. This was followed by taking up a new pastime or interest, which 44 per cent of employees did, 25 per cent explored meditation and mindfulness, and 19 per cent felt it helpful to be able to discuss mental health at work. Unfortunately, 10 per cent discovered that none helped with stress reduction. Older age groups were more likely to think that nothing helped.

What can be done to improve career health?

Employment Hero came up with a few ways to improve career health at the workplace:

• Develop a flexible coaching and development strategy. Learning management systems, one-on-one discussions, mentorship programmes, career pathways, and external learning opportunities can help you achieve this.

• Clearly state the mission and values of your organisation. Employees will have no idea what they're working towards if they don't have a mission. Values set the tone for the organisation's culture and guide decision-making.

• Reward and recognise your employees for outstanding performance. Teams need to feel valued for their efforts, and the best approach is to develop structured top-down and peer-to-peer recognition programmes. 

• Set clear and attainable objectives. When working toward a specific goal, it's much easier to stay motivated. Goals should be challenging yet achievable.

If you want to read more about Employment Hero's survey, click here.

Source: Employment Hero