Survey: 1 in 5 Singapore workers claim ‘ghostly’ workplace encounters

By: Alythea Ho
Hungry Ghost Month starts this August. According to Chinese tradition, this is a time when Hell releases its ghostly denizens into the land of the living.
So if you regularly work overtime, watch out: Nearly 1 in 5 (17%) Singapore workers claim to have encountered or heard others encounter the supernatural in the workplace — right here, in modern Singapore. In addition, Master degree and N/O-level holders are equally and most likely to claim a personal encounter.
The most ‘haunted’ area? Office washrooms. 33 per cent of ‘encounters’ take place in washrooms, followed by meeting rooms (15%) and storerooms (8%).
Over 3,500 Singapore workers took part in the JobsCentral survey from May to June this year. Other findings include:
Spooktacular office encounters
We received hundreds of creepy claims. Here’s a short selection; for more, head here.
Ghost? What ghost?
However, some skeptics dismiss workplace spooks as mere products of a hyperactive imagination.
One respondent quips: “My colleague encountered a ‘ghost’ lurking in the washroom at my shop level. I encountered only the tap that turns on by itself at times, due to a faulty sensor. Ha-ha.”
Another puts it bluntly: “Customers and colleagues are scarier than the 'supernatural' because they either make a din or take your stationeries without informing you.”
In fact, most Singapore employees are afraid of other – and more probable situations. 83 per cent admit to having workplace phobias, and the five greatest phobias are (in descending order):
So do spooks exist? We leave you to decide. At least, you now have another excuse to tell your boss why overtime work is bad for your health.
Office spooks -- real or just a figment of the imagination? Share with us in the comment box below!
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