9 in 10 Malaysians Face Work Changes During COVID-19 Pandemic

Barely anyone has been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a JobStreet survey, 9 in 10 Malaysians have felt the unfavourable effects of the crisis at their workplace, and the numbers are startling.

Furthermore, 66% of employees experienced an increased scope of work, particularly among higher-paid employees in larger organisations (68%). This was greatest in the education (+54%) and manufacturing (+45%) sectors, which experienced a need for remote learning and greater demand for goods, respectively.

By contrast, a decrease in work scope was felt by employees working in hospitality/catering (+45%) and architecture/construction (+36%).

The coronavirus effect on salary and remuneration

While longer-term, full-time employees are less vulnerable in terms of retrenchment, most experienced a removal or reduction of bonuses and a salary dip. In fact, one in three employees reported a salary reduction of more than 30%.

In light of these changes, most employees are now concerned with matters related to finances and job security. These concerns have led to a decline in job happiness, particularly those in service-oriented sectors and those with young children. Employees working for small to medium organisations also rated their job happiness as lower.

On the bright side, the government has introduced a few initiatives under the National Economic Recovery Plan (PENJANA) to cushion the impact of COVID-19. Among these are the launch of the MY30 unlimited travel pass, the provision of free 1GB Internet data, business grants for Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with gig economy workers, and other financial grants.

#TogetherAhead: How JobStreet can help

During unprecedented times, the workplace continues to respond and adapt to the COVID-19 crisis. Besides relying on government resources, more companies are turning towards JobStreet to alleviate the COVID-19 effect.

“JobStreet has a critical role during this time to help Malaysians secure available jobs in the shortest time possible, and to support them through this COVID-19 crisis,” says Country Manager Gan Bock Herm, referring to the JobStreet’s initiative, #TogetherAhead.

Under #TogetherAhead, JobStreet recently launched #WorkNow to help candidates and employers through various pandemic-induced challenges. This feature connects immediately available candidates to potential employers. To use this function, JobStreet has provided a simple step-by-step guide for candidates here.

For more useful information and insights, visit JobStreet resource hub. #TogetherAhead, we rise above challenges.