45% of Singapore employees work at least six unpaid hours a week, ADP report finds

Nearly half of employees in Singapore work at least six hours of unpaid overtime each week, raising concerns about workload management and sustainable workplace performance, according to ADP’s People at Work 2026 Report.

The report found that 35% of employees in Singapore work between six and 15 unpaid hours weekly, while another 10% work 16 hours or more. 

The figures exceed the global average, with 38% of workers worldwide reporting at least six hours of unpaid work each week.

Medium firms lead in unpaid overtime

Unpaid overtime was most prevalent in medium-sized organisations, where 56% of employees reported working at least six unpaid hours per week. 

This compared with 42% in large organisations and 40% in small businesses.

Knowledge workers were also more likely to work beyond their paid hours, with 51% reporting at least six hours of unpaid work every week.

Yvonne Teo, vice president of HR for Asia-Pacific at ADP, warned that sustained unpaid overtime could affect employee wellbeing, productivity and retention.

"While employees may be committed to their work, consistently putting in unpaid hours can come with hidden costs, including increased stress, lower perceived productivity and a greater risk of turnover," Teo said.

HR urged to tackle workload pressures

Teo cautioned employers against equating longer working hours with better performance, highlighting the need to assess productivity beyond the time employees spend at work.

"Employers need to recognise that sustainable performance depends on more than the number of hours worked," she said.

She urged HR leaders to establish clear expectations, manage workloads effectively and ensure teams have adequate resources to complete their work within paid hours.

"This means setting clear expectations, managing workloads effectively, and ensuring teams have the resources they need," she said.

"Better visibility into working patterns can also help organisations identify pressure points early and make more informed workforce decisions," Teo said.

Teo also encouraged organisations to identify where unpaid work is concentrated to understand the underlying causes of excessive hours and address workload pressures.