Almost half of Singaporeans are unhappy at work

Management woes drive unhappiness at work.

About 45% of Singaporeans are unhappy at work last year, Jobstreet.com revealed in its Job Happiness Index for 2017.

According to a press release, the unhappy workers faced issues with management and a lack of career development and training opportunities.

Meanwhile, work location is identified as the most important factor impacting job happiness — the other two being good colleagues and company reputation.

Other than transport subsidies, workplace flexibility, salary increment, and additional job perks will boost Singaporeans’ happiness levels at work.

JobStreet.com Singapore country manager Chew Siew Mee said, "Our survey found that 47.22% of the respondents are happy because of the ease of commute. However, the long travel time from home to workplace has led to unhappiness in 26.32% of the respondents. For employers planning their talent retention strategies, reviewing their policies on transport subsidies could help boost workplace morale.”

Also, employees working in larger companies are found generally happier.

Larger companies operate in a more defined organizational structure with various departments, which provide employees the option to explore other job scopes without leaving the company.

"Larger companies also have the resources to enroll their employees in training or accreditation courses, which ensure long-term professional development," JobStreet added.

In terms of age, millennials are generally happier than their older counterparts. About 36% of millennials are happy, whilst 30% of non-millennials are.

"Whilst both groups value convenient access to work location, millennials care most about flexibility," JobStreet concluded.