According to the latest survey by Randstad Malaysia, 90% of employees and jobseekers in Malaysia said they prefer “agile working” as it allowed them to maintain a good work-life balance.
About 92% believed that having a flexible working arrangement could increase productivity and improve job satisfaction.
However, 63% said this would also interfere with their personal lives as they seemed unable to disconnect from work.
This is higher than the percentage recorded in Hong Kong (48%), Singapore (56%) and China (51%). According to Randstad Malaysia, the global average is 44%.
“Employees who have easy access to work via digital devices may feel compelled to be ‘always on’ and are not always sure how and when to disconnect from work.
“As a result, 76% of employees in Malaysia still prefer to work in the office during business hours (as) the office environment encourages employees to focus better and helps them clearly define the time they need to commit to work,” the survey said.
Randstad Malaysia country manager Ryan Carroll said although “agile working” was gaining popularity in Malaysia, the same technology which made it possible to be more productive and creative at work could also make things frustrating and “intrusive” for those who felt they needed to respond to emails immediately, even during weekends.
“Flexible work arrangements can only improve work-life balance and boost productivity when ground rules are set and agreed upon between employers and their staff,” he said.
In terms of which demographic feels the pressure to be “always on”, the survey said 68% of millennials felt pressured compared with 39% of workers aged 55-67.
“Mature workers are also more likely to prefer agile working as they believe that it can improve their overall job satisfaction, with all employees aged between 55 and 67 agreeing with this statement.
“The same demographic also said that flexible work arrangement plays a significant part in improving their work-life balance,” it said.
In next-door Singapore, meanwhile, three in four employees have the flexibility to work from home and outside of stipulated hours.
Some 87% of respondents said having such autonomy at work increased their productivity and job satisfaction.
The Randstad Workmonitor survey is a quarterly research on global employment trends. The 2018 first quarter research was conducted between January and February, with a minimum sample size of 400 interviews required in each country.