1 in 3 Filipino workers already exhausted midyear — study

MANILA, Philippines — Almost one in three Filipino workers are already feeling drained midway through the year, with struggles to maintain work-life balance and compensation that does not match workloads emerging as the main reasons for exhaustion.

Based on a study of 2,000 Filipinos conducted by Agile Data Solutions Inc., more workers still described themselves as energized than exhausted. But 22.05 percent said they feel “somewhat drained,” while 11.61 percent said they feel “completely exhausted.”

Some 20.79 percent said they feel “highly energized and motivated,” while 21.96 percent said they feel “generally energized.” The rest, or 23.58 percent, said they feel “neither energized nor exhausted.”

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READ: Gallup: Filipinos most stressed at workplace

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Asked how often they felt worn out from work in the past month, 45.99 percent said “sometimes,” while 24.57 percent said they experienced exhaustion “often” or “almost every day.” Some 18.90 percent and 10.53 percent of the employed respondents said they “rarely” or “never” felt worn out.

When asked what contributed most to their exhaustion, respondents pointed to struggles in maintaining work-life balance at 25.1 percent.

Other reasons were compensation that does not match the workload, 17.28 percent; excessive workloads or unrealistic deadlines, 13.14 percent; unclear expectations or poor direction from management, 11.34 percent; lack of recognition or career growth, 11.34 percent; and difficult workplace relationships, 7.56 percent.

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Some 14 percent said they did not feel particularly drained.

READ: PH tops Southeast Asia in workplace stress — Gallup

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Physical exhaustion led the list of burnout symptoms, affecting 45.72 percent of respondents.

Other common effects were trouble sleeping because of work-related thoughts, 29.79 percent; a reduced sense of accomplishment, 25.92 percent; difficulty concentrating, 20.70 percent; feeling disconnected from work, 20.07 percent; and increased irritability during work hours, 17.82 percent.

Out of the 2,000 respondents, 55.6 percent were employed.

Despite widespread signs of exhaustion, 83.52 percent described themselves as either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their careers, while 12.06 percent said they were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.

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However, 59.58 percent of respondents said they felt their careers had stalled to some degree, with 27.63 percent saying “yes, definitely” and 31.95 percent saying “somewhat.”

The most common reasons were limited opportunities for growth and repeatedly doing the same tasks, reflecting workers’ desire for greater career progression. /dm