26/10/2025

ON SUNDAY October 26, 2025 theSunday Special III

HPSOR\HHV FDQ SHUIRUP H̆ HFWLYHO\ RYHU the long term without risking burnout,” she added. As the nation moves towards greater development and stability, Malaysia too must take serious precautions to protect the mental health and well-being of its workforce. Companies should shift per formance metrics from “hours worked” to “outcomes achieved”, encouraging Ḣ FLHQF\ DQG EDODQFH UDWKHU WKDQ UHZDUG ing presenteeism. Organisations can begin tracking em ployee well-being through anonymous surveys, turnover rates or sick leave data. Without measurable indicators, signs of burnout are easily dismissed or go unnoticed by leadership. At the policy level, Malaysia would EHQH¿W IURP PRUH H[SOLFLW ODERXU SURWHF tions, including maximum working hours DQG ULJKW WR GLVFRQQHFW ODZV WKDW R̆ HU employees the legal grounds to maintain boundaries. T KHVH SROLFLHV UHÀHFW D JURZLQJ JOREDO awareness of employee well-being, a step Malaysia urgently needs if it hopes to ad dress the country’s rising burnout levels. O Q WKH ÀLS VLGH HPSOR\HHV PXVW DOVR feel empowered to establish and maintain boundaries. “Make deliberate choices about when and how you engage, while keeping col leagues and managers informed about your workload and capacity.” But this must be done strategically. Documenting your workload provides tangible evidence when declining addi tional tasks. Boundaries, Sharifah noted, should be framed not as resistance but as a means of protecting productivity. In July 2025, the Malaysian govern ment officially recognised workplace bullying and harassment as criminal R̆ HQFHV With the enforcement of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Act 2025 on July 11, the government KDV WDNHQ D ¿UP VWDQG DJDLQVW DOO IRUPV of bullying, including cyberbullying, by introducing stronger legal protections and clearer pathways to justice. If you’re facing unrealistic work de mands that could lead to burnout, chronic stress or PTSD, know that you have the right to report it. Your well-being is protected by law.

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The symptoms of burnout As someone who runs her own career practice and works closely with early-to mid professionals, Sharifah explained that burnout may look similar on the surface, but its triggers often vary from person to person. What overwhelms one individual may feel entirely manageable to another; that’s why blanket solutions rarely work. In the simplest terms, the key symptom of burnout is exhaustion, not just tired ness, but a profound, bone-deep fatigue WKDW QR DPRXQW RI VOHHS UHVW RU WLPH R̆ VHHPV WR ¿[ What makes it even more alarming is that this chronic exhaustion rarely exists on its own. It begins to ripple into other parts of working life, distorting how we see our value, dampening our sense of purpose and leading to resentment toward those around us. Colleagues, clients and even the organisation itself can become sources of emotional friction. When you are burnt out, you may ex perience brain fog, reduced creativity and a sharp decline in focus. Procrastination sets in. Tasks that once felt meaningful are replaced by a string of unproductive, mindless activities, a desperate attempt to feel busy without truly engaging. For those in creative industries such as writing, design or content creation, burnout is not just emotionally draining; it can become a full-blown crisis. When your creativity is your currency, mental blockages caused by burnout GLVUXSW QRW RQO\ \RXU ZRUNÀRZ EXW DOVR your reputation and credibility. The result LV D GRPLQR H̆ HFW DQG E\ WKH WLPH \RX recognise it, the damage is often already in motion. “In banking, burnout is often due to ex treme working hours and client demands. In education, it’s the emotional labour of teaching combined with administrative overload. Oil and gas tend to have high risk environments where safety pressures add to workload stress. In the civil service, bureaucracy and slow processes can be just as exhausting as overwork. The common thread is lack of control over workload and pace, that’s what fuels burnout,” Sharifah explained.

Addressing the core problem In Malaysia, one of the most overlooked causes of fatigue, stress and burnout is the RXWGDWHG ¿YH GD\ Ṙ FH SROLF\ D V\VWHP many believe should have been left behind long ago. Yet despite growing evidence of its toll, most companies continue to ignore the obvious issue – the exhausting daily commute. Whether by car, train or carpool, Ma laysians face one of the country’s most SHUVLVWHQW SUREOHPV WUḊ F FRQJHVWLRQ Studies show that Malaysians col lectively spend an estimated one million KRXUV D \HDU LQ WUḊ F ZLWK DYHUDJH GDLO\ commutes lasting between one and two hours. For those relying on public transport, the experience is often worse, involv ing overcrowded trains and buses that heighten both physical and mental strain. %\ WKH WLPH WKH\ DUULYH DW WKH Ṙ FH PDQ\ are already carrying the weight of the morning’s stress. For working parents and caregivers, the pressure is even more intense. Balanc ing professional demands with family responsibilities becomes a daily juggling act. Emotional exhaustion sets in long before the workday begins, yet expecta tions to perform remain unchanged. “Cultural values like jaga muka often lead people to take on extra work to avoid embarrassment, even when it’s beyond their capacity,” Sharifah explained. “The reluctance to say no, along with fear of being seen as lazy, has created a culture where overcommitment is normal. Over time, this slowly erodes well-being and productivity.” Until these structural and cultural challenges are recognised and reformed, burnout will continue to fester beneath WKH VXUIDFH ,W¶V QRW DQ LQGLYLGXDO ÀDZ it’s a collective crisis. “We need a movement for sustainable work, one that moves beyond simply HPEHGGLQJ UHVW LQWR H[LVWLQJ ZRUNÀRZV ´ she urged. “This means designing realistic work loads, prioritising tasks that genuinely add value and creating an environment where people can perform over the long

term without burning out. Without proper measurement, structural reform and accountable leadership, mental health initiatives risk becoming little more than a plaster over a much deeper wound.” Addressing toxic work culture The conversation around workplace bullying and mental neglect is gain ing momentum in Malaysia. But while awareness has improved, turning talk into real change remains a challenge. Many organisations are still navigating how to build healthier, more supportive workplaces and in the process, some employees may not always receive the support they need. “Since moving into recruitment, I’ve noticed a common gap across many organisations – data,” Sharifah observed. “Companies often avoid tracking em ployee well-being, allowing burnout to persist unchecked. We need a movement for sustainable work that goes beyond VLPSO\ HPEHGGLQJ UHVW LQWR ZRUNÀRZV “It means designing workloads that are realistic, prioritising tasks that truly add value and creating an environment where

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