Can after-work hours be more than overtime?: Singapore's young workers are trying, but experts say pressure to overperform remains

Ecclesia Chang starts her workday like many Singaporeans: checking emails, attending meetings, and managing client campaigns in the fast-paced world of public relations.

But after the office lights go off, the 30-year-old takes a different approach - filming corporate vlogs, baking, and creating content that turns her routine into something meaningful.

"I see my content as reframing the norm and repetitive corporate hustle," Ms Chang told The New Paper.

She added that it gives her and her viewers a more positive perspective, helping them appreciate the little moments in everyday life.

Even in a high-pressure industry, she treats her after-work hours as "sacred time to recalibrate and recharge."

Cooking, baking, and filming help her stay fully present at work the next day without feeling burnt out.

Family and loved ones "always come first," she says, and making time for personal projects ensures she can give her "100%" both at work and at home.

Ms Chang believes Singapore's hustle culture hasn't disappeared but is "evolving." "People are now looking at fulfilment beyond ambition and job satisfaction - seeking an outlet to express creativity and their personality."

For her, that means sharing her journey online as a "corporate girlie in Singapore" and launching a home bakery business as a passion project.

"It's the art of balance, and ensuring that you don't fall into a routine - it's the ability to recognise when you're running on an empty tank and knowing when to pause and reprioritise. It's all about consistency," said Ms Chang.

Redefining fulfilment beyond the 9-to-5

Her approach reflects a growing desire among the younger workers in Singapore to reclaim their time and find fulfilment beyond traditional career success.

Recent TikTok trends such as "my 5-9 after my 9-5" and "romanticising my 9-5" suggest many are exploring creative outlets and personal projects outside work to rediscover meaning.

This comes amid broader shifts in Singapore's labour market.

The unemployment rate among residents under 30 rose from 5.4 per cent in March to 5.7 per cent in June 2025, according to the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Labour Market Report released on Sept 17 - even as the overall unemployment rate held steady at 2 per cent, and citizen and resident rates eased.

With youth unemployment climbing despite overall stability, some young workers are rethinking what fulfillment and stability mean and whether the traditional hustle is still worth chasing.

Still figuring it out

Esther Tan, 25, who works in the media industry, describes her role as a "means to an end" but still takes pride in doing her best.

She struggles with balancing job performance and the desire to slow down.

Noting the trend of young adults soft quitting and setting stricter work-life boundaries, Ms Tan said she wishes she could adopt similar practices, while also citing job stability as an important consideration.

However, she acknowledged that many young adults are realising the importance of mental health for maintaining job stability, as they seek to keep their roles while setting healthy boundaries.

"It's not so much about laziness, but survival," she said.

Ms Tan feels that workplaces still reward employees who put in longer hours, noting that her bosses often work longer than she does. As a relatively new hire, she also feels the pressure to prove herself.

"Why would they want to hire someone who works the bare minimum when someone else is willing to do more than what's required?" she asked.

Despite this, Ms Tan also wonders at what point the hustle should stop, noting that there will "always be a reason to hustle."

She concludes that it's ultimately up to the employee but aims to eventually set "clear rules," such as leaving her computer in the office, deeming anything past 6pm "off limits," or simply deciding to "stop caring about what others think."

Expectations around success, balance and purpose

Sociologists that TNP spoke to say some young workers are adapting their approach to work-life balance, even as traditional expectations around hustle remain.

Associate Professor Alwyn Lim of Singapore Management University (SMU) said soft quitting and stricter work-life boundaries are becoming increasingly common among younger Singaporeans.

Yet, there is a "bifurcation in attitudes": while some are rejecting the always-on mentality, others are accelerating hard into grindset culture.

He explained that Singapore's meritocratic and competitive culture fosters a high-ambition ethos, where hustle is equated with success and respect - often putting employees under considerable pressure to overperform.

"While this clashes with the younger generation's orientation towards well-being over relentless striving, there are also younger Singaporeans leaning hard into hustle and competitiveness," he said.

Workplaces adapting

Echoing these sentiments, Associate Professor Dr Md Saidul Islam of Nanyang Technological University said that systemic factors such as rising living costs and a volatile job market can make it difficult for young workers to assert boundaries.

While rejecting hustle culture may promote healthier mental states and more reflective work engagement, he cautioned that trends like soft quitting could also lead to "chronic disengagement, low morale, and societal apathy" if driven by disillusionment rather than empowerment.

He also observed that organisations are gradually adapting.

"As organisations compete for younger talent, they are increasingly adopting flexible policies, mental health initiatives, and results-oriented rather than hours-oriented performance models," he said.

Over time, he predicts, this could shift workplace culture from one dominated by workaholism to one prioritising well-being-driven professionalism.

The high bar for today's workforce

George Wong, an assistant professor of sociology (education) at SMU, said that the younger workforce's values reflect heightened societal expectations: achieving career success while maintaining balance and purpose.

"What we get is not a difference in values and expectations, but an amplification of contradictory values (such as being successful in one's career but also to excel at parenting) that has made expectations a lot more difficult to achieve among younger Singaporeans," he said.

These pressures can make it harder for younger workers to juggle these expectations, especially when success depends not just on their own abilities, but also on intergenerational support and resources that others may not have access to, he added.

As younger workers navigate these competing pressures, the path forward is ultimately a personal one.

Whether it's setting boundaries like Ms Tan, finding creative outlets like Ms Chang, or rethinking what success means, some are learning that work-life balance is not a luxury - it's a necessity.