Brunei projects a future glowing with high Quality of Life (QoL), aiming for a healthy, skilled and active population. It’s a vision of peace and prosperity. Yet, step into the reality of many private sector employees and a different, more draining story is happening beneath this national ambition.
Work-related stress grips both public and private sectors in Brunei, significantly impacting their productivity. While the standard work week for non-shift workers is officially 44 hours, many still reports working beyond this limit, with some even maintaining a Monday to Saturday schedule. Brunei, even though a small country, is considered among countries of people working the most hours, more than Singapore, Canada and even, Japan. Private sectors in Brunei often get only one day off a week with vast amount of work, a contrast to the public sector’s two days off per week. This pressure forces them to push relentlessly, making them feel as though working like ants through demanding schedules. This constant cycle leaves little room for their personal life either.
The intense pace carries a heavy cost where reports show a worrying rise in mental health struggles across Brunei, including anxiety and depression, clearly linked to work demands. Adding to this challenge is the significant mental health stigma, where the fear of being labeled as a crazy, making citizens reluctant to seek help, distant from having open discussion and to continue with their unhealthy working conditions.
It’s clear that there’s a gap between Brunei’s QoL hopes and their daily life. The work environment, fueled by a culture that prioritizes relentless effort over true balance, is quite draining.
In order for Brunei to flourish long-term, it is time to build a productive workforce that does not sacrifice the harmony of someone’s life. Now, with its workers pushing so hard, is Brunei truly getting better, or is this effort costing its national dream?
Umi Moslimi (umibasyirahhm@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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