Employees in Asian cities at maximum risk of burnout: Report
A new study by Savvy Sleeper revealed the Cities with the highest burnout after reviewing data from sources including the International Labour Organization, the Global Employee Engagement Index, and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in addition to over 340,000 employee reviews on Glassdoor to rank global cities by their burnout potential. A total of 69 cities from 53 countries were analyzed.
Burnout as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is a result of work stress that hasn’t been managed, suggesting the following three symptoms:
- Feelings of low energy and exhaustion
- Decreased motivation and increased distance from work, or feelings of cynicism towards a role and even wider society
- Reduced performance and results at work
WHO in fact, in May 2019, included burnout in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) emphasizing how critical the issue is for both the employees and the employers.
As per the findings of the study, here are the top 10 cities where employees are facing the issue of burnout:
- Tokyo, Japan
- Mumbai, India
- Seoul, South Korea
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Manila, Philippines
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Hanoi, Vietnam
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Los Angeles, USA
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
Other cities like Sydney, Australia (11th globally), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (13th globally), Beijing, China (16th globally), Hong Kong, Hong Kong (21st globally) and Bangkok, Thailand (24th globally) also scored high in terms of employee burnout.
Tokyo, Japan topped the list of employee presenteeism as well as having a high lack of sleep, as 54.5 percent of people in the city get less than the recommended seven hours. For Mumbai, the vast amount of time workers find themselves stuck in traffic to and from work also lengthened their working day considerably, and the city hence demonstrated longest working hours.
Seoul has probably made it to the list as it offers limited vacation with just 14.2 days. Additionally, 52 percent of the population sleep less than the recommended seven hours. Interestingly, in Seoul, there has been a growth of “nap cafes”, as workers feel severely sleep deprived from their extended hours at the office.
The findings of the report raise a concern among business and HR leaders to relook at their approach to their own and employees’ wellness. While the whole world of work talks about the rising importance of employee experience, dealing with employee burnout also falls into that bucket and is a crucial aspect for businesses to address.
Employers have to encourage employees to get enough rest and achieve a strong work-life balance to ensure they are happy and hence more productive at work. It is no surprise that flexible work models have now become more common. Benefits like work from home, flexi hours and remote working has to now be encouraged and employers have to proactively invest in ensuring the employees’ wellness and minimize the chances of their burnout.
