You’re not alone if you relate to having a friend who is always late or can’t make it to gatherings due to them working overtime. Well, it turns out that despite the emphasis on having a healthy work-life balance, Singapore still has an overworking culture.
To promote the importance of having a social life and prevent the feeling of burnout at work, Heineken has partnered with Korean actor Park Hyung-sik by hosting a “ghosting” themed event with free beer on 19 April 2023.
Park Hyung-sik might ring a bell if you’ve watched some of his notable K-dramas like Strong Girl Bong-Soon and Suits. As part of Heineken’s #WorkResponsibly campaign, the actor has collaborated with the alcohol brand by appearing in a short clip that features spooky paranormal activities in a bar.
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If you’re wondering what’s with the creepy concept, Heineken is hoping to draw your attention to their campaign’s tagline, which introduces the idea of friendship “ghosting”. To put it simply, a friend consumed by work is nothing but a “ghost” haunting a bar.
The creative video was inspired by a recent YouGov study conducted in March 2023 with over 1,000 Singaporeans, aged between 18 and 58. It revealed that 49% of Singaporean employees “ghost” their friends because of work, and 33% do so due to family commitments.
According to a quarterly statistic published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employees in Singapore work an average of 44.3 hours per week in 2022 ‒ almost 5 hours more than the standard 40 hours per week. This supports the study which also showed that 62% of the respondents feel that the lack of work-life balance has significantly impacted their lives.
That’s not all ‒ 67% of respondents also reported feeling burnout at work, while 46% said that work has strained their relationships with friends and partners.
Although there’s no denying that more companies in Singapore have been encouraging their employees to take time off for a better work-life balance, 54% of the respondents find it hard to improve their social life, and end up “ghosting” their friends due to work commitments.
When citing reasons behind their actions, 72% struggle to reject additional work assigned to them, with 80% worrying about the consequences of refusing work from their superiors. Plus, 43% also feel that doing so might jeopardise their career progression, and be viewed by others as “lazy”.
Interestingly, 88% of the respondents understand the benefits of having a healthy work-life balance in their social life, but they continue to prioritise work over their social life.
The study also revealed that the key to better work-life balance lies in the companies themselves ‒ 88% of respondents believe that their organisation could lessen overworking hours by encouraging them to have a better social life.
Reminding employees in Singapore to work responsibly and knock off on time to meet up with friends, Heineken Silver is hosting “The Ghosted Bar” event on 19 April 2023, from 7pm to 11pm at No. 5 Emerald Hill. Consider this an opportunity to jio your kakis for an overdue gathering session.
The bar invites you to a spooky experience of “paranormal”-themed activities that include generating and interacting with a “ghost” friend of yours who isn’t able to join you at the event.
If that isn’t enticing enough, you’ll also receive a free pint of Heineken Silver when your friend leaves work on time and turns up, after you invite them through the Heineken Silver’s Ghost Generator.
Apart from the “haunted” activities, The Ghosted Bar will also present a light-hearted segment with stand-up comedian Jinx Yeo.
Those longing to hang out with their besties can make use of Heineken Silver’s “The Ghosted Bar” event as an opportunity to jio them out. Since the event is open to the public, be sure to RSVP before all the slots run out on Heineken Silver’s official website.
The Ghosted Bar
Address: No. 5 Emerald Hill, 5 Emerald Hill Road, Singapore 229289
Event time: 7pm to 11pm
Reservation: Via website
Cover: Image courtesy of Heineken, source
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