S'pore is 'second-least inclusive workplace', as 24% of workers report being bullied or harassed: Survey

SINGAPORE — Almost a quarter of Singaporean employees said that they had been “bullied, undermined or harassed” in the workplace in the past year, a new study published on Tuesday (Sept 17) reported.

Data and consulting firm Kantar ranked Singapore in the second-lowest spot for workplace inclusivity, out of 14 countries it surveyed, noting that 24 per cent of workers here reported having been bullied in the past year. Mexico was ranked last and Canada, first.

The survey also showed that employees here are the most likely in the world to be made to “feel uncomfortable” by their employers, with 32 per cent saying this has happened to them. Besides gender and ethnic discrimination, this also refers to incidents where their thoughts, opinions, preferences, cares and concerns were not acknowledged.

WHY IT MATTERS

The consulting firm said that if left unaddressed, bullying behaviour and non-inclusive practices could lead to poor performance, employee churn (or departures) and, in certain cases, can lead to employee anxiety, stress and unhappiness. 

The aim of the study, which polled 18,000 people in 14 countries, is to help organisations understand where greater efforts are needed to make their workplaces more inclusive and equal.

The study involved 1,050 employees in Singapore.

STRESSED AND ANXIOUS

• 44 per cent of respondents in Singapore said that they were affected by “stress and anxiety” at work, higher than the global average of 39 per cent.

• 49 per cent of respondents here also said that they felt their company should support them more when they are dealing with the health concerns.

HOW OTHER COUNTRIES FARED

• In Japan, 48 per cent of workers said that they faced stress and anxiety at work, but only about 17 per cent said that they have been bullied, undermined or harassed, and 19 per cent said that they had been made to feel uncomfortable.

• Among the 14 countries, Canada was deemed the most inclusive, due to its equal gender representations at companies, where more than 40 per cent of senior roles were taken up by women. However, 20 per cent of Canadian workers also reported experiencing bullying in the last year.

• The United States was ranked the second-most inclusive country for workers, with equal representation in terms of gender at senior leadership, and 30 per cent representation at senior leadership in terms of ethnicity. About 17 per cent of Americans said that they experienced bullying in the last year.