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 in 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 scope of work 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 PENJANA to cushion the blow of COVID-19. Among these are the launch of the MY30 unlimited travel pass, the provision of free 1GB Internet data, business grants for 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, we have provided a simple step-by-step guide for candidates here.

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