A survey of over 1,000 Malaysian employers and employees found that 70% of the former would make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for all their staff. In contrast, only 33% of employers in Australia, 33% in the United Kingdom, and 35% in New Zealand would require their staff to vaccinate.
Malaysian employees appear too happy to oblige. The survey by Employment Hero found that 76% of them agreed to take the vaccine and only 7% said they would refuse.
Still, most of those surveyed are unsure when they’ll be able to work from their offices again. Only 29% of Malaysian employees and 31% of Malaysian employers are expecting to return to the office in the next six months.
Because of that, some employers are considering adjustments to their operations. 32% of Malaysian employers foresee that their teams would continue working remotely or flexibly, and just as many said they would allow more geographic and work hour flexibility.
Unsurprisingly, as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, stress levels among Malaysian employees (61%) and employers (58%) have increased, but many employees (47%) aren’t comfortable discussing their mental health with their superiors.
“The mental-health fallout of COVID-19 in the workforce needs more attention. The workplace is an important environment to discuss mental health, but because of the stigma attached to it and the fear of job losses, many people are continuing to suffer in silence,” said Employment Hero CEO and co-founder Ben Thompson.
The survey was conducted in March 2021, aiming to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected employers and employees across the world.
(Source: Employment Hero. Images: Nataliya Vaitkevich / Pexels, Vlada Karpovich / Pexels.)
