Survey: Unhappy Workers On The Rise In Singapore

By Agence France-Presse Singapore, once a haven of full employment and a utopian economic vision, is increasingly becoming a home for angry and disenchanted workers, according to the Gallup Organization. Indeed, 17% of all employees in Singapore are fed up with their jobs and the way they are being treated at work, the Gallup Organization said. This category, known as actively disengaged, has grown by 5% since May last year and is costing the national economy at least 4.9 billion Singapore dollars (US$2.8 billion) a year, the Gallup report said. Gallup's regional practice coordinator, Ashok Gopal, said the 4.9 billion dollar figure, arrived at by including factors such as the number of days employees take off because of their attitude, was conservative. "In company after company, we have found the costs of disengagement is really high and it has very serious financial implications for business," says Gopal. The Gallup report said of 11 countries it surveyed -- including the United States, Canada, Germany, Britain and Australia -- Singapore ranked with France as having the worst record for a loyal, productive and satisfied workforce. A Gallup survey used to determine the findings of the report found 52% of all Singapore respondents felt they had no career development opportunities last year. One-third of the workforce felt they were doing the wrong type of job and only 22% knew what their exact roles at work were supposed to be. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2003