THE LINK TO THE SINGAPORE STORY
Singapore’s political leadership has played and continues to play a “very big” part in inculcating these worldviews on work, according to Dr Tan.
The demands for individual excellence can be traced to the need for – and culture of – national survival which drove Singapore’s rapid transformation from third world to first.
Correspondingly, the fear that Singapore will slip in productivity and competitiveness if it adopts a right to disconnect can also be traced to our beliefs about personal excellence, according to the associate professor.
“I think it’s from a belief that we need to be controlled … that we cannot think that we can be self-motivated,” she said.
During a parliamentary debate on mental health last month, MP Carrie Tan drew a similar link between Singapore’s national story and modern workplace stresses.
“The very narrative of our nation’s survival and success thus far has been fuelled by the notion of scarcity, which then fuels an endless culture of competition and sense of inadequacy,” she said.
Quoting a popular National Day song, she added: “If you recall the lyrics, we are first called to ‘stand up for Singapore’ to do the best we can, only to be called a few lines later to also ‘be prepared to give a little more’.
“I love this song, I love to sing it with pride. And increasingly, I recognise some irony. Are we perhaps the only country in the world where our best is still not enough?”
NOT BY LAW BUT BY AGREEMENT
At a fundamental level, the right to disconnect is about reaching mutual understanding between employers and workers, said SMU’s Dr Tan.
A law would be a “very blunt tool” and an easier way around difficult, protracted conversations that employers and workers likely need to have, in order to set joint expectations on work hours and deliverables.
And while people will comply with a law, that’s not the same as committing to its intent.
The culture and values that make it difficult to disconnect from work are ingrained not just in individuals but also Singapore’s institutions, and will take more time to change, said Dr Tan.
The onus for such change should not be placed solely on individuals. But it can be helpful for workers to know that they need to advocate and set boundaries, and how to do so.
Michelle, the teacher, noted that her school’s efforts to implement a culture of disconnecting – even if unofficially – come in tandem with the majority of staff following suit.
In design visualiser Eric’s experience, it takes courage, some risk-taking and a bit of luck.
After his office breakdown, he thought of quitting but was persuaded by a HR officer to hang on. He started saying no and speaking up more at work. This did not go down well, and at one point Eric thought he was at risk of losing his job.
But then the firm’s management changed, and the culture at his workplace has “drastically” improved ever since.
Eric still works there. He has mostly been able to keep a routine of leaving work around 5.30pm to pick up his young son from school, have dinner together with his family, and put the kid to bed.
After that, he looks at work again, voluntarily, from about 9pm.
Eric now leads a small team of his own, and is careful to be the kind of supervisor he would have wanted.
That means letting his team know in advance if they need to work late that day, and explaining why the task is so urgent that for those extra hours – they cannot disconnect.