Changing sentiments on remote working in Asia

It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. For most of us, still haunted by the close memories of multiple lockdowns, 2022 and 2023 were overshadowed by underlying fears of another outbreak.

But this year we seem to have scope to take a step back and reflect on just how much we’ve changed since 2020—for better or worse. This also applies to businesses all over the world.

Asia’s quick pandemic response

Asia’s pandemic response was fast and efficient. In big cities like Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong, the shift from in-person to remote working took place overnight. Tower blocks of terrified people shut themselves away, and everyone became focused on one thing: protecting their families and communities. At the same time, organisations rapidly distributed technical equipment so that employees could work from home–most of them for the first time ever. 

In 2020, LinkedIn published a report claiming that companies based in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region more than doubled the amount of remote jobs they were posting between March and May. This was obviously a direct response to COVID-19 and the multiple lockdowns resulting from its spread across the globe, so it seemed normal to presume that returning to the office would become top priority for most businesses once the pandemic died down. 

Since Asia has a well-established, deeply ingrained culture of presenteeism, it makes sense that the APAC region wanted to return to in-person working as soon as possible. Predictably, as revealed by a CBRE global survey, 48% of respondents from Asia were prioritising ‘return to the office’ initiatives in 2023, compared to 43% in Europe and 40% in the US. 

However, another 2023 survey by Gallup stated that 82% of respondents in Asia were actually very happy to continue offering their employees the option to work from home.

So now, in 2024, what’s the reality? Have sentiments towards working from home in Asia actually changed, or are companies still trying to get workers back into the office? Let’s take a closer look…

The history of presenteeism in Asia

When we talk about the ‘culture of presenteeism’, we’re simply referring to the tendency for employees to continue going into a place of work, and attempting to perform usual tasks, when sick or exhausted.

Typically, presenteeism is associated with East Asian countries where it’s also pretty normal to work late into the evening. Mind HK claims that the average working week in Hong Kong is the highest in the world at a grim 51.1 hours, with 39% of people working 4-8 hours overtime each week (a lot of the time unpaid). It’s not surprising, then, that Kisi’s 2020 data puts Hong Kong in the top spot on its list of overworked cities.

People’s reasons for being moulded into the culture of presenteeism are varied; from financial motivations (i.e. the belief that taking time off will mean less money or a lost promotion) to moral objectives (feeling irreplaceable, as if the workplace will stop functioning without you), it’s obviously a big problem for people’s mental and physical health. 

Unsurprisingly, considering the average working hours, Hong Kong has one of the highest levels of presenteeism in Asia. Ironically, they also have the worst levels of absenteeism—probably because people spread their illness to others who then have to take more time off work than if they’d taken a day to rest in the first place. 

But it’s not just bad for workers’ health: AIA Vitality suggests that large companies lose an average of HK$3 million per month due to health-related absences and lower productivity… I don’t need to tell you that’s a lot of money. 

One way to tackle this problem would be for APAC companies to provide clearer mental health education and support for their employees. According to Mind HK, 73% of workers in Hong Kong are unaware of any mental health programmes provided by their employers, so an obvious first step would be to promote these opportunities while also working to overcome the stigma around making mental health a priority.

Another solution could be offering employees the option of remote or hybrid working, which would provide more flexibility over where, how and when people work. Speaking from experience, I can confidently say that having control over your working life in this way can directly contribute to increased job satisfaction, and subsequently more positive mental health at work. It won’t be suitable for everyone, but it’s always good to have some flexibility.

Creating a safe working environment from afar

Employers’ willingness to allow remote or hybrid working patterns depends on their country’s economy and infrastructure, as well as those of the organisation itself. It’s easy for European expats to come to Asia with preconceptions about how easy remote working should be, but in reality there’s huge variety in the extent to which different APAC industries welcome remote working.

I recently came across a survey by M Moser Associates, which evaluated the responses of its clients to remote vs in-office working policies. Interestingly, 56% claimed they were ‘most likely’ to continue flexible working arrangements for their employees, even though pandemic fears have subsided. It seems the pandemic’s efforts to break apart the foundations of presenteeism have, at least partially, been a success. 

On the other hand, though, the survey’s respondents also expressed concerns about workers being away from the office, often with un-ergonomic set-ups and poor internet connection. There are some clear solutions for easing the transition to remote/hybrid working: 

• Upgrade at-home technologies to ensure they’re compatible with in-office ones

• Provide comfortable, ergonomic furniture for employees working-from-home (who doesn’t want a comfier office chair!?) 

• Create a safe, communal, in-person space for employees who want to socialise, collaborate or coordinate with co-workers on occasion 

• Outline clear working-from-home practices to help workers find a satisfying work-life balance 

Even though Asia has a reputation for long working hours and presenteeism, it’s not impossible for organisations to begin implementing these solutions gradually. Of course, remote and hybrid working patterns aren’t ideal in every industry, but in most cases, giving employees the option will benefit their job satisfaction and productivity in the long run.

Digital nomads in Asia

It makes sense that different types of remote jobs have varying degrees of popularity in different countries. According to LinkedIn, Singapore (renowned as Asia’s least eager remote-working hub), the most popular remote roles seem to be in solutions architecture, project management and accountancy; in India, customer support roles, internet analysts and freelance writers were most common; and in China most remote workers were in tech support, marketing, or English teaching and translation.  

It’s inevitable that each country has its own preferences regarding remote working roles. Still, it’s also pretty obvious that one major reason why Asia is so appealing for remote workers is its incredible travel opportunities. 

Let’s have a think about the next step up from remote workers, then: digital nomads. 

A ‘digital nomad’ is an individual who works remotely while travelling and exploring different places, anywhere in the world that they choose. Thanks to improving technology and the growing number of urban coworking spaces, people from a range of backgrounds have adopted this way of living; travelling is no longer just for unemployed youths on a gap year. 

The 2023 Nomad List features cities like Bangkok (Thailand), Bali (Indonesia) and Da Nang (Vietnam) as the most popular digital nomad destinations due to low living costs, internet quality, and exciting cultural experiences. But it’s not just money spent on accommodation, food and entertainment that nomads take with them; they bring unique experiences and valuable skills to share with local communities, too. Whether nomads spend some time chatting to locals about the work they do, or help local businesses understand how they can collaborate with international audiences more directly, their presence in these otherwise tourist-filled locations can have a profound effect on local culture as well as the economy. 

With more digital nomads coming to Asia from Europe and Australia, people who have lived and worked in Asia for a long time are learning more about remote and hybrid working options, and are therefore learning about the potential benefits for themselves. Even if people don’t want to go full digital nomad, it’s impossible to ignore the personal perks of being able to earn a sustainable income beyond the walls of the office.

So, are sentiments towards remote working changing in Asia?

Just because the APAC region has an established culture of presenteeism and long working hours, that doesn’t mean it’s immune from the positive effects of flexible working patterns (especially important in industries and regions where signs of stress and burnout are increasingly prevalent).

Even with pandemic fears subsided, workers and employers across Asia are starting to acknowledge that managing a dispersed workforce is becoming an easier task, and can have profound long-term effects for business productivity and success.

We already explored the benefits of remote working here. And while there are some unavoidable cons (which we also looked at here), for most industries it’s clear that a flexible company infrastructure that can offer employees the option to work remotely, when needed or wanted, will have a positive impact on workflow, productivity, and job satisfaction.

Thank you for taking your time to read this article! I hope it’s useful for you to have an insight to changing sentiments towards remote working beyond the Western world. No matter where you are in the world, having a bit more control over your work-life balance is likely to improve your job satisfaction and mental health.

As someone who works-from-home in my small Hong Kong apartment, I sometimes feel inferior to the big business men and women I see wearing pristine suits and marching into the office each morning. But the more we talk about the realities of remote working, the easier it will be to break free from corporate constraints.

If you enjoyed this Asia insight, make sure to share this article with your co-workers, friends and family to spread the word!: Remote working isn’t a Western phenomenon, it’s happening everywhere.

Thanks for reading!

Charlie

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