66% Of Malaysian Workers Have Second Jobs

To ease their financial burden, over half of the Malaysian knowledge workers (66%) have obtained a second source of income.

According to a survey conducted by the human resource, payroll, and benefits platform Employment Hero, it was the highest rate among all countries polled. Here are the rankings:

1. Malaysia (66%),

2. Singapore (56%), 

3. Australia (51%),

4.  New Zealand (51%); and 

5. The United Kingdom (38%).

 

Gen Zs lead the pack

According to the firm's 2022 Remote Work Report, which interviewed over 1,000 Malaysian knowledge workers on Wednesday (Oct 5), Gen Z and Millennials aged 18-35 were the key drivers of this trend, with 49% of 18-24-year-olds and 42% of 25-34-year-olds holding secondary employment or business venture.

According to the study, individuals having additional income streams see it as a positive, with 77% stating it has significantly enhanced their quality of life.

It also said that most employees (78%) believe having additional income streams does not affect their work productivity. 38% of those who could work on their supplementary income throughout working hours credited this to the flexibility they obtain by working remotely or in a hybrid arrangement.

 

Over half of workers returned to the office full-time this year

According to the research, while most employees worked remotely or in a hybrid format during the Movement Control Order (MCO) in 2020 and 2021, the return to a post-pandemic 'normal' saw more than half of the workforce (55%) return to the office full-time in 2022.

According to the report, 43% of those who returned indicated they did so at their employer's request.

88% of Malaysian employees, on the other hand, want to telecommute at least once a week.

The Gen Z generation is driving this trend, with 93% of individuals aged 18 to 24 choosing to work remotely at least once per week.

Remote and hybrid work were also viewed as better for work-life balance, personal finances, and climate change prevention, allowing Malaysians to allocate time between home and work, save money on meals and transportation, and minimise carbon emissions from commuting.

 

How Malaysians feel about remote and hybrid work

According to the firm, Malaysians feel remote working promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

60% of individuals polled from marginalised groups believe that working remotely shields them from discrimination, and 40% believe that working remotely enhances their workplace culture.

Employees are ready to accept remote and hybrid work, but many are also mindful that their activity is being tracked.

Employers use tracking or activity monitoring technologies, according to 61% of employees, comprising productivity-tracking algorithms (24%), video recording or screenshot records (12%), and keystroke logging (10%).

Despite this, Malaysian workers reported the most positive attitudes toward and faith in technology and machine learning in the workplace compared to other countries polled.

 

According to Alex Hattingh, chief people officer at Employment Hero, out of all the surveyed countries in the report, Malaysians stand out as seeing a secondary income as a positive and possibly even required addition to their lives.

"It demonstrates a keenness to take on new challenges and shows their capability to juggle various responsibilities without letting it affect their productivity at work.

"Employers would be wise to remember this, especially when dealing with the younger generations in the workforce," she said.

 

Source: The Edge Markets

 

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