Weekends too short? How Singaporeans feel about a 4-day work week
SINGAPORE: A local Reddit user wanted to know how others in Singapore feel about a four-day work week, adding that they personally find that weekends are too short.
In a Jun 8 (Sunday) thread on r/askSingapore, u/Adventurous_sushii asked if others on the platform would feel more well-rested if the working week were one day shorter.
With the current set-up, having only a two-day weekend is insufficient, since the post author wants ' to rest + do the things I want + catch up on admin and household chores at home.'
However, they were uncertain whether others felt the same way, but added that last year, when more three-day weekends allowed them to take Mondays off, they found that they felt 'better mentally' when they returned to work.
By far, the top comment is one where a Reddit user wrote, 'Only if it's really a 4-day work week.'
In workaholic Singapore, it's not unusual for people to engage in work-related activities even when they're out of the office, such as taking calls, responding to emails, and writing reports.
Other countries, meanwhile, such as Australia, have introduced the 'right to disconnect,' which means workers are allowed to let work calls or emails go unanswered. Moreover, employers who breach the law may potentially be subject to fines.
In 2020, Member of Parliament Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) called for the government to consider a similar 'Right to Disconnect' legislation.
'Let me reassure critics that I am not calling for rigid laws that specify working hours, nor am I calling for Singaporeans to be less productive, and certainly not for Singapore to be any less competitive,' he said at the time, adding, 'It is simply about ensuring that our workers have protected time to rest.'
On Reddit, one commenter wrote, 'I had the arrangement for a 4-day work week, but my customers kept contacting me on the 5th day, and I couldn't ignore it. Ended up returning to a five-day work week.'
'As a teacher, much of my weekends are currently dedicated to marking assignments, doing lesson prep for the following week, and other miscellaneous odds and ends. We had a couple of extra Monday holidays in May, and I can vouch that the extra day has been invaluable in letting me get my work done, while still having more time to myself. The three days don't even need to be back-to-back. Just a little added break from the daily grind would be much appreciated,' another weighed in.
'Totally agree. I feel that life is more balanced with a four-day work week, honestly. With two days of rest, the first day, I would need to spend half a day doing housework and still recovering from the five work days. Sunday is the only actual day I feel like an off day, but yet you think of tomorrow, needing to work again, spoils it all, and being tired again, but if Monday is off, you feel like you got a real full two days to recover,' a commenter added. /TISG
Read also: The four-day work week dream
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore government, Regent of Johor agree to swap land parcels near Botanic Gardens
The Singapore government and the Regent of Johor have agreed to swap land parcels at Holland Road. Authorities say the swap is to ensure any development plans he has will be further away from the Singapore Botanic Gardens UNESCO World Heritage Site and cause the least disruption. Charlotte Lim with more.
AsiaOne
11 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Expanding missile threats and airspace closures are straining airlines, World News
NEW DELHI — Proliferating conflict zones are an increasing burden on airline operations and profitability, executives say, as carriers grapple with missiles and drones, airspace closures, location spoofing and the shoot-down of another passenger flight. Airlines are racking up costs and losing market share from cancelled flights and expensive re-routings, often at short notice. The aviation industry, which prides itself on its safety performance, is investing more in data and security planning. "Flight planning in this kind of environment is extremely difficult … The airline industry thrives on predictability, and the absence of this will always drive greater cost," said Guy Murray, who leads aviation security at European carrier TUI Airline. With increasing airspace closures around Russia and Ukraine, throughout the Middle East, between India and Pakistan and in parts of Africa, airlines are left with fewer route options. "Compared to five years ago, more than half of the countries being overflown on a typical Europe-Asia flight would now need to be carefully reviewed before each flight," said Mark Zee, founder of OpsGroup, a membership-based organisation that shares flight risk information. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East since October 2023 led to commercial aviation sharing the skies with short-notice barrages of drones and missiles across major flight paths — some of which were reportedly close enough to be seen by pilots and passengers. Russian airports, including in Moscow, are now regularly shut down for brief periods due to drone activity, while interference with navigation systems, known as GPS spoofing or jamming, is surging around political fault lines worldwide. When hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan last month, the neighbours blocked each other's aircraft from their respective airspace. "Airspace should not be used as a retaliatory tool, but it is," Nick Careen, International Air Transport Association (IATA) senior vice president for operations, safety and security, told reporters at the airline body's annual meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday. Isidre Porqueras, chief operating officer at Indian carrier IndiGo, said the recent diversions were undoing efforts to reduce emissions and increase airline efficiencies. Worst-case scenario Finances aside, civil aviation's worst-case scenario is a plane being hit, accidentally or intentionally, by weaponry. In December, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. The plane was accidentally shot down by Russian air defences, according to Azerbaijan's president and Reuters sources. In October, a cargo plane was shot down in Sudan, killing five people. Six commercial aircraft have been shot down unintentionally, with three near-misses since 2001, according to aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions. Governments need to share information more effectively to keep civil aviation secure as conflict zones proliferate, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said this week. Safety statistics used by the commercial aviation industry show a steady decline in accidents over the past two decades, but these do not include security-related incidents such as being hit by weaponry. IATA said in February that accidents and incidents related to conflict zones were a top concern for aviation safety requiring urgent global coordination. Tough choices Each airline decides where to travel based on a patchwork of government notices, security advisers, and information-sharing between carriers and states, leading to divergent policies. The closure of Russian airspace to most Western carriers since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022 put them at a cost disadvantage compared to airlines from places like China, India and the Middle East that continue to take shorter northern routes that need less fuel and fewer crew. Shifting risk calculations mean Singapore Airlines' flight SQ326 from Singapore to Amsterdam has used three different routes into Europe in just over a year, Flightradar24 tracking data shows. When reciprocal missile and drone attacks broke out between Iran and Israel in April 2024, it started crossing previously avoided Afghanistan instead of Iran. Last month, its route shifted again to avoid Pakistan's airspace as conflict escalated between India and Pakistan. Flight SQ326 now reaches Europe via the Persian Gulf and Iraq. Singapore Airlines did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Pilots and flight attendants are also worried about how the patchwork of shifting risk might impact their safety. "IATA says airlines should decide if it's safe to fly over conflict zones, not regulators. But history shows commercial pressures can cloud those decisions," said Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, which represents pilots. Flight crew typically have the right to refuse a trip due to concerns about airspace, whether over weather or conflict zones, IATA security head Careen said. "Most airlines, in fact, I would say the vast majority of them, do not want crew on an aircraft if they don't feel comfortable flying," he said. [[nid:717677]]
CNA
12 hours ago
- CNA
Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean resigns from GIC board of directors
SINGAPORE: Former Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean has resigned from GIC's board of directors and as chairman of its international advisory board, effective Jun 30, said the sovereign wealth fund on Tuesday (Jun 10). Mr Teo, 70, retired from politics in April and did not contest in the recent General Election. Temasek Holdings announced last week that he will succeed Mr Lim Boon Heng as its fifth chairman. He will first join Temasek's board as deputy chairman on Jul 1, before taking the reins on Oct 9. Mr Teo served on the GIC Board for 14 years. He was first appointed as a director in December 2010 and assumed the role of chairman of its International Advisory Board in April 2015. 'During his tenure, Mr Teo helped GIC navigate significant developments including the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, accelerating technology and climate change, as well as rising geopolitical uncertainty,' said GIC in a news release. In a letter to Mr Teo, Senior Minister and Chairman of GIC Lee Hsien Loong wrote: "On behalf of the board of directors, management, and staff of GIC, I wish to express our heartfelt appreciation for your invaluable contributions on the GIC board for 14 years." As a director, Mr Teo helped steer GIC's long-term investment strategy and policies, said Mr Lee. "Your insights on geopolitical developments and risks have guided GIC's global investment strategies and the development of its investment framework, as GIC responded to an increasingly complex global environment," he added. CEO of GIC Lim Chow Kiat added: "Mr Teo generously contributed his wealth of experience in public policy and global affairs to GIC. "His geopolitical insights were particularly important, given the growing complexity and salience of these issues for GIC." He added that Mr Teo's dedication to Singapore was an invaluable asset, helping the sovereign wealth fund to sharpen its investment discipline and organisational values. 'On behalf of the board and GIC, I extend our deep appreciation for his service and wish him well in his future roles.' Mr Teo made his political debut in 1992 when he was part of a People's Action Party team that contested and won a by-election in Marine Parade GRC. He then moved to contest Pasir Ris GRC during the 1997 polls and was subsequently re-elected in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC five times. During his time in government, Mr Teo helmed the home affairs, defence, education and environment ministries, among other roles. A core member of Singapore's third-generation leadership team, he later served as deputy prime minister between 2009 and 2019 before being appointed as senior minister. The political veteran also held the role of coordinating minister for national security from 2011 and oversaw other portfolios, such as the Smart Nation and Digital Government Group and the National Climate Change Secretariat, until he stepped down from politics.
