The Great Resignation
Are more Singaporeans choosing freelance life over a full-time job?
BY: NATANIA LOW
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
We just might have to thank the pandemic for allowing employers to see how flexibility and trusting their employees to complete work from home is possible. Companies like Netflix believe in trust and responsibility in their employees which means they are free to do whatever they want with their time as long as they get their job done in the best way possible. Employers alike, I think the pandemic also helped employees realise they too can become their own bosses as well. With the number of people getting laid off from big companies these days, the idea of being your own boss does not sound like a bad one at all. It is not just those who are self-employed or are entrepreneurs. I am talking about freelancers. According to worklife.com, Singapore is actually the top choice for freelancers to reside in. Due to our excellent broadband that is both fast and affordable. Big shoutout to all our telecom companies! Besides that, Singapore is also known for the many co-working spaces such as WeWork. There is no question that our country is an attractive hub for startups.
If you have not heard of the ‘Great Resignation’, it is something that started gaining attention mid last year. According to economictimes, 65% of Singaporean respondents are willing to accept a lower pay or reject a promotion if it means better work life balance and better mental health. It seems like more Singaporeans today are addressing employee well-being and are choosing to have happiness over a high paying stressful job with a toxic working environment. Growing up for us may have felt like a stressful environment because schools and (maybe) parents always placed an emphasis on studies. We might have brought that spirit of pushing ourselves in a stressful environment into our work life. However, now Singaporeans are finally seeing how their emotional, mental and physical well-being are all important.
“Being a freelancer means that I’m able to work on my own props and think about how I can improve at any time that I want. In the case of a full-time job, most people tend to confine their research and interest to the working hours.”
In 2016, Maybank Kim Eng data shows that millennials make up the growing proportion of Singaporeans entering the freelance economy. 47% of ITE and 35% of Polytechnic graduates opted for either part-time, contract or freelance jobs and that is more than double the percentage of what it was ten years ago.
“On the positive side, graduates are voluntarily opting for freelance jobs because of the greater flexibility, opportunity, and technological capacity to capitalise on the internet economy. On the negative side, graduates may face less job security, volatile earnings and minimal social security contributions.”
With the number of people choosing to become freelancers, the competition on websites such as Fiverr and Upwork increases which leads to the lives of freelancers who want to start out, even more difficult. I am pretty sure companies are also noticing this trend and hence putting in more of an effort to improve their work place environment. From better employee benefits to giving more time off and allowing employees to work from home at least twice a week.
“Freelancing these days is not easy. I have been trying to find remote work for more than two months now and I have just been earning peanuts. Whilst I enjoy the comfortability of home and the fact that I can work at my own time as long as I meet deadlines, I am definitely not earning enough to pay the bills.”
With a lot of talk of freelancing, not every industry can afford to do that. It is mostly those in the arts and media sector who are able to work remotely as they just take briefs from clients and from there communication can all happen online. However, it is true that only if you are well known in the industry, are you able to make enough income to survive. If you are just starting out, it is going to be tough. As most media or arts people would say, as long as you are doing something you are passionate about, it is all worth it right? Chasing dreams these days is not easy, but hang in there guys because I believe that if you are truly good at something, I am sure someone out there will be able to see it and give you a chance to prove yourself.
NATANIA LOW | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A misplaced Singaporean living in Seoul who loves basketball, movies and people - thankfully things you can find on YouTube.
