Close to a third of workers in Asia Pacific are facing increased rates of burnout over the past six months, according to Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index report.
The report, which surveyed over 6,000 information and first-line workers across eight countries including Australia, India, Japan, and Singapore, cited the lack of separation between work duties and personal obligations as negatively impacting the wellbeing of workers in the region.
Of the eight countries, Singapore and India were the top two in the region with workers facing increased burnout at 37% and 29% respectively.
While burnout can be attributed to several factors, Microsoft found that longer working hours contribute to a higher percentage of workers getting burnout.
The report also found that close to 34% of its respondents worried about contracting Covid-19, which results in increased stress levels. The worry stems from the lack of protection provided by businesses to effectively conduct social distancing. For those working remotely, one of the top stressors include the lack of work-life balance, and feeling disconnected from co-workers.
Countries across the region also had cited differing factors contributing to work stress.
In Australia and Singapore, the lack of separation between work and life was the top stressor with 24% and 31% respectively, with the feeling of isolation coming closely behind at 22% and 28%.
However, in countries such as India and Japan, 42% and 26% respectively cited the inability to socially distance and the worry about contracting COVID-19 while on the job as a top stressor.
Following its findings, which include seeing more employees take on more meetings and ad hoc calls, as well as the lack of a commute hurting productivity for remote workers, Microsoft says it has launched a series of updates within Microsoft Teams to support employee wellbeing.
The updates include a virtual commute experience that helps users prepare for the day and mindfully disconnect in the evening, among other features.
"In the last six months, we have seen how Covid-19 has contributed to the evolution of the workplace -- from a physical space to one residing in a virtual world. As businesses adapt to a new way of working, it is important to examine the multifaceted impact these changes are having on employees and provide relevant and timely solutions," says Rosalind Quek, general manager, modern workplace, at Microsoft Asia.
About 73% of those surveyed also said that they have turned to meditation to decrease their work-related stress. To which, Microsoft has partnered with stress management app Headspace to offer workers the ability to schedule ad hoc or recurring time for mindfulness breaks from time to time.
