Since the Covid-19 pandemic first struck Singapore more than two years ago, many of us have become accustomed to working from home (WFH).
Although workers have been returning to their offices now that pandemic restrictions have been relaxed, many still prefer hybrid work and want flexible work arrangements to continue.
Recently, a US survey found that Singapore is the best WFH city. This is because it has the highest number of WFH jobs and the required infrastructure for WFH set-ups.
On Wednesday (25 May), Bloomberg reported the results from a survey conducted by US-based mobile access technology company Kisi, which offers security and access solutions for businesses.
Some categories included ‘Best Cities for Work-Life Balance in 2022’, ‘Best Cities To Work From Home’, and ‘Most Overworked Cities’.
For ‘Best Cities To Work From Home’, Kisi ranked the Top 10 cities based on how “teleworkable” these cities’ jobs were.
According to the survey’s footnote, Kisi retrieved and analysed data from the Journal of Public Economics and the World Bank.
They explained that they considered the percentage of jobs that could be performed remotely in each city. It also looked at the rate of feasibility for WFH for all jobs.
Kisi said a high percentage suggested that the city was able to provide more remote work across occupations, as well as the required infrastructure to support such arrangements.
In light of these criteria, Singapore came in first with a percentage score of 52.06%. A clear margin over Washington, which came in at second place with a score of 49.77%.
Third place went to another US city, Austin, which scored 45.51%.
Kisi studied the data of 51 US metro areas and 49 major cities in the world across more than 130 data points to derive the results.
The data points include rates of overwork and healthcare access. They also considered safety metrics that gauge work intensity, as well as the rights and health of inhabitants.
Kisi CEO Bernard Mehl said,
Recent years have tested the support structures in place for employees around the world. The ongoing stress and disruption brought about by the pandemic has been followed by war in Ukraine, contributing to global instability that will be felt for years to come.
Notably, our country is the only Asian country that made – and topped – the list of best cities for WFH.
Other countries like China, Japan, and Malaysia were not on the list.
The other places were taken up by Bern (fourth place), Zurich (fifth place), Geneva (sixth place), Stockholm (ninth place), and Liverpool (tenth place).
Another two US cities also made the list — San Francisco in seventh place and Boston in the eighth.
Unfortunately, our country was nowhere to be found in the ‘Best Cities for Work-Life Balance’ list.
Source: Bloomberg
Instead, we came in fourth in the ‘Most Overworked Cities’ rankings after Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, which got the top three spots.
Source: Bloomberg
In this list, Singapore ‘beat’ Asian cities like Tokyo (sixth place) and Bangkok (seventh place).
The number represents the percentage of full-time employees who work over 48 hours per working week.
While the pandemic was the reason WFH and hybrid working arrangements were adopted, it looks like they are here to stay.
It is unclear if a high rate of WFH causes overworking. Still, it’s a good sign that Singapore offers plenty of jobs and support where remote working is concerned.
This is especially important for those who have to juggle heavy personal responsibilities along with their work.
Working is a necessity for most of us, if not all. As such, we should have the freedom to choose the type of work we want to do.
With mental health in the spotlight these days, you should have a say in how and where you want to work. If you can’t, perhaps it is time to explore other opportunities.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu on Unsplash.
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