95% of Singapore employers reject four-day workweek, survey finds

The survey, conducted by the SNEF from Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, aimed to assess employers' openness to adopting a four-day workweek across companies in Singapore.

This work schedule entails shifts of 8-9 hours per day, totaling up to 36 hours weekly, compared to the traditional five-day, 44-hour workweek, while maintaining the same level of compensation.

Out of the 330 employers surveyed, nearly 80% stated they are neither planning nor interested in transitioning to a four-day workweek. Only 18 employers expressed a willingness to consider the shorter workweek, according to a statement released by SNEF on Friday.

Employers from various sectors and company sizes cited three main reasons for not adopting a four-day workweek: (1) business operations require continuous service, such as 24/7 availability, making a shorter workweek impractical; (2) the inability to raise productivity enough to offset reduced working days; and (3) increased costs due to the need for additional staffing to fill gaps in service.

Among the few employers who showed interest in or plans to adopt a four-day workweek, 5% with plans and 16% with interest, the primary motivations were enhancing the company’s appeal to employees, boosting employee well-being, and improving job satisfaction.

"These results reflect the realities many employers face in today’s tight labor market and competitive business environment," Sim Gim Guan, Executive Director at SNEF, was quoted in the statement as saying.

"While a small proportion of employers favor implementing a four-day workweek, our findings indicate that for most employers, the operational feasibility and economic implications make it a challenging proposition to meet their business needs."

A four-day workweek has gained traction in certain parts of the world as countries aim to build competitive business environments that offer more work-life balance.

Belgium legislated for a four-day working week in February 2022. The initiative has also been tried in other European countries like Germany, Iceland, the U.K., as well as in Australia.

The Japanese government, which has expressed support for a shorter working week since 2021, launched a campaign last August calling for more people and businesses to adopt the four-day workweek in an effort to address its labor shortage, AP reported.