31/05/2026

NATIONAL 3 theSun on Sunday MAY 31, 2026

‘Neglect of personal time may harm office morale’

PETALING JAYA: More single women who are juggling their careers with caregiving responsibilities, delayed marriages and longer life expectancy are often overlooked in traditional workplace support systems. International Islamic University Malaysia Sociology and Anthropology Department assistant professor Dr Sharifah Fatimah Alzahrah Syed Hussein said traditional caregiving arrangements have changed as more women pursue higher education, achieve financial independence and remain active in the workforce. “In the past, unpaid care work was often carried out by women who were not in paid employment. Today, most people are working, which means families have fewer resources in terms of someone being available to manage caregiving responsibilities.” She said these changes, coupled with longer life expectancy and delayed marriages, have resulted in unmarried women increasingly being expected to care for elderly parents, support relatives and, in some cases, help look after nieces and nephews. Fatimah stressed that despite these evolving realities, workplace policies remain largely centred on the traditional nuclear family model, with caregiving support often focused on parents rather than employees with wider family responsibilities. “We have not fully explored how to support workers who need time off to care for elderly relatives or other family members.” She said many employers continue to focus flexibility measures and leave entitlements on workers with children, despite Malaysia’s ageing population creating a growing need for employees to care for elderly parents and other dependants. Fatimah emphasised that growing caregiving responsibilities could affect the wellbeing of single family members, particularly when they are forced to balance paid employment with unpaid care work without adequate workplace support. She added that greater workplace flexibility and care-related leave policies would become increasingly important as Malaysia moves towards an ageing society and the number of workers caring for elderly family members continues to rise. – BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI Single women struggle to balance careers with caregiving indications of a decline in global oil prices. “This shows that developments over the past week have had a positive impact on oil price movements,” he noted. “We are still awaiting developments in West Asia. Although a slight further decline in oil prices is expected this week, the situation remains uncertain or volatile.” – Bernama

loyalty to the workplace.” She said younger workers are much more open about protecting their boundaries and prioritising mental health, with many no longer believing that being hardworking means sacrificing your personal wellbeing completely. Hamizah said such a shift is important because burnout can affect anyone regardless of relationship status. She said while parenting responsibilities firmly deserve understanding and support, balance should not be limited to that alone, and work-life balance should be understood more broadly. “Everyone deserves balance, including individuals who are single, caring for parents, managing health issues, pursuing education, maintaining relationships or simply protecting their mental wellbeing.” She added that a healthier workplace culture recognises that personal wellbeing matters for all employees.

signs include constant fatigue, emotional withdrawal and feeling mentally drained even after work hours. She urged employers to pay attention to performance as well as emotional wellbeing so that organisations can identify early signs of stress and prevent burnout from becoming serious. “Sometimes, people continue functioning normally on the surface, but internally they are already overwhelmed.” She stressed that when the same employees are repeatedly expected to stay late, work during holidays or cover for others, it could lead to burnout, emotional exhaustion and resentment towards the organisation. “At first, many people tolerate it because they want to be cooperative. But after a while, it could create frustration and resentment, especially when it starts feeling less like teamwork and more like an expectation attached to your marital status. “Over time, this may reduce motivation, morale and even

Such attitudes reflect societal tendency to unconsciously prioritise certain life stages over others: Lecturer

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

they carry outside work. “There could be an assumption that because they are unmarried or do not have children, they are more emotionally available, have fewer responsibilities or can take on extra work more easily.” She added that over time, this could cause stress and a sense of unfairness, especially when personal boundaries are often ignored, as mental health strain could also come from feeling that one’s personal time is valued less than others. “In reality, being single does not mean life is easier or lighter. Many single individuals manage ageing parents, financial pressures, health concerns, emotional wellbeing or personal commitments outside work.” Hamizah said some warning

JOHOR BAHRU: Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir has said the government is focusing on keeping economic activity strong to safeguard jobs for the people amid a global supply crisis. He said the priority is to ensure uninterrupted supply, particularly of the country’s oil supply, to support economic activity. “In the first two to three months of the crisis, one of the main issues PETALING As conversations on workplace mental health continue during Mental Health Month in May, it has become apparent how feeling that one’s personal time is less valued at work, particularly among single employees, may quietly erode self-worth and morale over time, experts said. Universiti Teknologi Mara Communication and Media Studies Faculty senior lecturer Dr Hamizah Sahharon said such perceptions reflect a societal tendency to unconsciously prioritise certain life stages over others, especially when it comes to how personal time is valued in the workplace. “Parents’ time off is usually understood and accepted quickly, but when a single person asks for personal time, it is sometimes seen as less urgent or less important. “This creates an unhealthy idea that rest, hobbies, solitude or personal wellbeing are somehow less valuable if a person is not married or raising children. “Personal time is still important because mental rest, emotional wellbeing, family commitments and even solitude are all part of maintaining a healthy life.” She said caregiving duties linked to marriage or parenthood are often more visible and widely understood, leading single employees to sometimes be perceived as having fewer commitments or more free time due to traditional views on family roles. She also said when workplaces overlook these realities, employees may feel unsupported or misunderstood, increasing emotional strain since they are expected to continuously perform without others recognising the pressures JAYA:

VEHICLE VIEWING ... A couple checking out a cruiser bike in MForce MotoXperience during the Malaysia Bike Show in Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang in Selangor. – SYED AZAHAR SYED OSMAN/THESUN

Govt boosting economic activity to safeguard jobs, says ministry

engaging with industry players and holding discussions with foreign countries to ensure supply chains remain secure, he added. He also said Anwar’s visit to Japan in the next one to two weeks would be used to discuss several strategic supply-related matters identified by the Economy Ministry. On geopolitical developments in West Asia, Akmal Nasrullah said uncertainty remains despite

with Workers’ Day, including allocations under the Employment Insurance Scheme to assist workers affected should the impact of the crisis be felt. He said disruptions to energy supply and production inputs could have a direct impact on the industrial sector, including slowing operations and affecting workers’ incomes. The government is also

that needed to be addressed was supply-related matters. “That is why the government has taken steps to ensure sufficient national oil supply, in line with the assurance that the country’s oil supply is adequate until the end of July.” Akmal Nasrullah said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has announced several worker protection measures in conjunction