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.
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