Study: Employees in Malaysia Ranked the 2nd UNHAPPIEST at Work in Southeast Asia

Previously, we reported how Malaysia was ranked the 2nd worst out of 60 countries for work-life balance in the Global Life Work Index by Remote, showcasing the amount of stress that employees in our country face.

Naturally, this leads to unhappiness among workers in our country. Well, a recent regional survey of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong by Jobstreet and Jobsdb by SEEK pretty much confirmed this, whereby employees in Malaysia are found to be the 2nd unhappiest in the region!

Employees in Malaysia are the 2nd unhappiest in the region

According to the survey conducted in May 2024, which was shared by SME Asia, Singapore ranks highest (19%) on how unhappy employees are at work, followed by Malaysia (12%) in 2nd place.

Making up the top 6 are the Philippines (11%), Thailand (9%), Hong Kong (9%) and Indonesia (4%).

For context, the survey was conducted with over 5,000 workforce respondents across the countries.

Heavy workloads are the main cause of employees’ stress levels 

Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia’s Hiring, Compensation and Benefits Report 2024 by SEEK, the principal causes of stress for employees in the region are:

• Heavy workloads (37%)
• High pressure from management (27%)
• Lack of ample career development opportunities (23%)

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The report further noted that despite the high levels of stress, only 48% of companies are currently offering sufficient support to help employees manage stress.

In Malaysia, SEEK said that there has been a focus on employee organisation activities to boost engagement (17%) rather than mental health and wellness counselling, which are more prevalent in the Philippines (30%) and Indonesia (15%).

SEEK also noted that Southeast Asia companies are implementing various measures to enhance compensation and benefits. Among these is salary benchmarking, of which Malaysia records the highest prevalence (59%).

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So, what do you guys think of these findings? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Also read: Malaysia is the 2nd WORST Country for Work-Life Balance According to Global Study