As PM Lee reminded Singaporeans in his annual NDR speech, Singapore’s standing as an attractive global business hub is closely tied to its ability to foster a welcoming and harmonious society for people of all backgrounds – going so far as to propose a new Racial Harmony law.
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has put everyone on edge, exacerbating racist and xenophobic tendencies that many agree do not belong in a tolerant, multi-racial society.
How prevalent are workplace harassment and discrimination in Singapore? Our data shows that overall, over half (51.4%) of Singaporeans say they have personally experienced some form of discrimination.
Racism (28%), religious discrimination (20%), and sexism (19%) are the three forms of discrimination that Singaporeans say they have experienced the most at work. At 54%, sexual harassment is the top form of discrimination that people say they have witnessed but not personally experienced.
Looking at specific demographics, we note that Malays and Indians are more than twice as likely than Chinese to say that they have personally experienced racism and religious discrimination at work. They are also much more likely to have personally experienced linguistic discrimination and ageism.
One in five women say they have personally experienced sexism (22%) or sexual harassment (20%) at work.
Age-wise, claimed personal experiences of discrimination are much more prevalent amongst Gen Zers, especially when it comes to racism, sexism, and religious discrimination. This does not necessarily indicate that younger Singaporeans are more targeted than other generations; it may mean that this generation is much more aware and much less tolerant of such incidents, and as such is likelier to report them.
Likewise, nearly one in four boomers (24%) say they have personally experienced ageism at work.
Compared to many other countries, Singapore is a haven of racial and religious harmony. But the fact that the number of racist/xenophobic incidents reported to the police is climbing, coupled with the fact that Singaporeans are reporting higher levels of mental health struggles, does give us cause to pause and look at what the underlying issues are. In this context, PM Lee’s comments appear more than timely.
Want to know more about how socio-economic issues are perceived in Singapore? Contact us at bizdesign@blackbox.com.sg for insights on complex consumer dynamics.
Author: Blackbox Research Team
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