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Sitecore Context Id: 9f598b78-1d14-4bbc-ab6a-4115e36a5d19;
In the third wave of a longitudinal survey by the Union of Security Employees (USE) and the University of Social Sciences Singapore (SUSS), findings reveal that the welfare of private security officers (SOs) continue to be of concern – particularly in the areas of mental wellbeing and abuse. The survey was conducted from July to September 2021 comprising responses from 1,000 SOs.
To better understand SOs’ mental wellbeing at the workplace, questions relating to work stresses were included in the survey for the first time. More than one in two SOs reported feeling nervous and stressed at work. In addition, a key trend that is observed across all three waves of the survey is the persistent incidence of abuse that SOs continue to face at work. About 39 per cent of SOs reported having faced abuse at their workplace. The survey covered other aspects of SOs’ working conditions such as wages and work prospects.
As a proactive measure to empower SOs who face issues in their line of work, USE has launched a free mobile application that enables SOs to report any work-related issues and grievances anytime and anywhere.
USE-SUSS survey
Welfare
More than one in two SOs reported feeling nervous and stressed at work, particularly among younger and female SOs. In addition, younger SOs face significantly more challenges at work. Such findings are reflective of the evolving nature of SOs’ role due to COVID-19.
About 39 per cent of SOs reported having faced abuse at their workplace – this is slightly lower than the 42 per cent reported in Wave 2 yet is higher than the 32 per cent reported in Wave 1. The frequency of abuse has also risen with almost 40 per cent of those who reported that they have experienced verbal abuse shared that they experience verbal abuse at least once every two weeks. In all three surveys, respondents reported having faced more verbal abuse than physical abuse.
Further, the survey found that those in older age groups experienced more abuse that their younger counterparts. At least 40 per cent of SOs aged 50 years and above reported having faced abuse at work. Comparatively, only 26 per cent of SOs aged up to 29 years reported having faced abuse at work. Lastly, the survey found that over 40 per cent of the abuse perpetrators come from the general public, strongly signalling the need for society at large to accord the due respect to security officers who are performing their jobs to keep Singapore safe and secure.
Wages
Wages remain steady in the sector, with SOs’ wages meeting PWM benchmarks across all levels. Showing confidence in their work and sector, more than six in 10 SOs said they are compensated fairly for their work and are expecting median wage increase of about $150 for the next year.
Work prospects
More than eight in 10 of SOs are satisfied with the profession, with the usage of technology continuing to remain high (about 90 per cent). More than six in 10 SOs have the intention to learn new skills in the next six months. This bodes well with the expected increased adoption of technology as part of industry transformation efforts.
New app for security officers to report work-related issues and grievances
Whilst the survey showed that SOs generally know who or where to seek help from when they face abuse at work, more can be done to expedite the process and enable neutral, third-party bodies to help investigate and mediate the case at hand.
In this respect, USE has launched a new mobile app that acts as a first-stop, one-stop application that allows SOs and security agencies to report any issues or work-related grievances.
After registering for an account, users can key in details of the case or issue, including location and photos. The cases submitted via the app will be routed to USE Mediation Service for follow-up. Users may also check back on the status of their submissions via the app and be kept updated on industry and union-related news.
Mr Raymond Chin, General Secretary of the Union of Security Employees said, “USE is concerned that security officers continue to be abused while doing their jobs as provided for under the law. We urge the general public to recognise the important work of our security officers as frontline warriors protecting property and lives, and cooperate with them when required.”
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Annex A: Backgrounder on private security industry and USE
Annex B: Survey methodology and demographics
Annex C: Key survey findings
Annex D: USE Mobile app details
