New Findings Reveal That the 9-5, Five Day Week is Unlikely
to Return
LONDON, Sept. 2, 2020
/PRNewswire/ -- Cigna's (NYSE:CI) International Markets business
has published new figures from its Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact
Study, which highlight that working cultures could permanently
change due to the pandemic.
According to Cigna's latest research, carried out in June as
part of the Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Study which is tracking
people's health and well-being around the world throughout the
pandemic, 18% of people across the world feel that life will
never be the same again, an increase of 5% since April. In Korea,
Singapore and the United States, this rose to 38%, 26% and
25% respectively. However, Mainland China remained more confident
that the status quo would continue, with only 5% saying the
same.
The report measures well-being across key indicators, including
physical, social, financial, family and work; the health and
wellness scorecard; the virtual health assessment tracker; and
opinions on what the new normal will look like.
The 9-5, Five Day Week May be Dead
Currently, 60% of people across the surveyed markets are able to
work from home, which has had a major impact on people's attitudes
to work culture in the future.
Over half of people (53%) now say they would like to work from
home at least half the time in the future, this rose to 67% of
people in Singapore, and 56% in
Spain and Thailand, as well as 40% of people in Korea.
Nearly a quarter (22%) went further, saying they wanted to work
from an office no more than 20% of the time.
The appetite for full time office based working is now very low.
Less than a quarter of people (23%) want to return to the office
full time, with the lowest demand seen in Singapore and Thailand (17%), and Mainland China (19%).
Jason Sadler, President, Cigna
International Markets said, "The pandemic has dramatically
impacted our working and personal lives. While the office still has
a role in terms of building culture and collaboration, the
experience of the last few months has demonstrated that home based
working can also be highly effective. However, this also brings
challenges and employers need to think carefully about how they can
support their staff who are working remotely, by checking in with
them regularly."
Worries about infection put people off offices and the
daily commute
The prospect of a return to physical workplaces is creating new
anxieties among employees, 42% said they were concerned about
catching the coronavirus because of travel, in-person meetings or
common working spaces. This rose to 54% in Singapore and 51% in the UAE, but fell to only
19% in Hong Kong, which saw an
increase in cases after this latest survey was completed.
41% said they were concerned about workplace protocols, such as
social distancing and the need to wear a face mask, with people in
Thailand and Singapore the most worried (47%) and
New Zealand, perhaps
understandably, least worried at 26%.
Not all employee needs being filled adequately
The report also highlighted the different kinds of support
employees would prefer as they return to the workplace, as well as
the gap in terms of what support employers are currently
offering.
Most employers appear to be taking their responsibilities
seriously. Over half (52%) said their employers offer protective
and sanitising products, such as facemasks and santiser. This
increases to 62% in Mainland China, 58% in Taiwan and 55% in Singapore and New
Zealand.
However, 60% of people said they would like subsidies on extra
expenses, such as protective and sanitising products, utility bills
from working from home, rising to 73% and 71% in air-conditioning
reliant UAE and Singapore. Despite
this, approximately one in five (19%) said that their employer
already had suitable measures in place, although 29% of UAE and 18%
of Singapore employers have
stepped up to offer this support, compared to only 11% in
Hong Kong.
Mental health support was another area that was identified.
Although nearly a quarter (24%) said their employers currently
offer support, 50% said they would like more. New Zealand
(40%) and UAE (34%) employers have led the way with the provision
of mental health support, compared to only 15% of Korean and 16% of
Hong Kong firms.
Sadler added, "With some markets gradually opening and
people returning to the workplace, our findings show that there is
still a large gap between expectations and reality. Employees will
look to organizations to narrow this gap by providing adequate
support where needed and continue building a workplace culture
centred around mutual support. As we transition to a new normal, it
is key for us to not only continue checking in with one another but
also for employers to develop comprehensive well-being programs
focused on equipping employees with tools to reduce and manage
their stress and anxiety levels."
Cigna offers a range of health and well-being resources to help
employers and employees to check-in and support each other in an
effective way. This includes advice from financial, HR and mental
health experts, creative ideas for staying connected with
colleagues, family and friends, and specialist resources to help
you create your own stress care plan. These are available here for
employers and here for employees. In addition, a wide range of free
online mental health support resources are available on Cigna's
website.
How the study was conducted:
The Cigna COVID-19 Global Impact Study is an ongoing study that
has been conducted by Cigna, in partnership with Kantar, between
January and June 2020, and will
continue for the remainder of the year. To date, a total of 16,843
online interviews have been conducted across Mainland China,
Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United
Arab Emirates, United
Kingdom and United
States.
The study was conducted using an online survey, with respondents
recruited from online panels and undergo rigorous quality control.
Age, gender and residing city quotas were set based on the
population proportion of respective markets. The 20 to 25 minutes
survey was completed anonymously.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated
to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we
serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and
access to quality care through integrated capabilities and
connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health.
All products and services are provided exclusively by or through
operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health
and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of
New York, Connecticut General Life
Insurance Company, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates,
and Life Insurance Company of North
America. Such products and services include an integrated
suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioural
health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related
products including group life, accident and disability insurance.
Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 170 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links
to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
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