Job hugging? Emotional salary? Here are the workplace trends that are set to define 2026

At Jobstreet by Seek, where Liyana Soh leads marketing, some employees have stayed for more than a decade. Not because they are stuck, but because they are happy where they are. Recognition is consistent, the work feels purposeful, and while salaries are not top of the range, the non-monetary benefits – hybrid work, work-life balance, company culture – make the trade-off worth it.

That choice reflects a broader recalibration. Rising living costs, a cautious hiring market and the rapid spread of AI have made stability, relevance and energy just as important as ambition.

The data backs this up. JLL’s Workforce Preference Barometer 2025, which surveyed more than 8,700 office workers across 31 countries including Singapore, found that work-life balance has overtaken salary as the top priority for employees already in a role. Nearly 40 per cent reported feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. Burnout, in fact, is now the single biggest reason people cite for wanting to leave their employer within the next year.

For Maria Nakamura, head of hospitality and business at Arcc Spaces, burnout can be surprisingly easy to miss. “In a fast-paced city like Singapore, it often starts with withdrawal,” she says. People continue coming in, driven by the pressure to be seen, but stop engaging in the informal conversations that once energised them.

She sees this especially among women navigating what she calls the “triple shift”: work, home and caregiving. When offices continue to reward face time over real impact, the strain compounds. Ambition fades, not because the drive is gone, but because the environment no longer supports how people need to work.

That experience aligns with broader global trends. Forbes’ 2026 work trends analysis points to careers becoming less about linear progression and more about adaptability, emotional sustainability and skills that travel.

Maria sees this playing out in real time. Many professionals are moving away from narrow specialisation, choosing instead to grow as more rounded contributors who balance performance, leadership and personal interests. Women, in particular, are pushing to be measured by outcomes rather than hours logged.

Choosing where to work, she adds, has become an intentional act – less about prestige, more about building something that can stretch across different life stages.

The same tension is visible from the employer side. Karen Ng, regional head of expansion for North and South Asia at HR specialist Deel, says more employees are “hugging” their current roles not out of complacency, but because predictable income, autonomy and emotional security matter more in an uncertain economy.

That shift has raised expectations beyond pay alone. Employees are weighing recognition, purpose and flexibility alongside financial security when deciding whether a role still works. When those are present, Karen notes, people are more likely to stay and to contribute meaningfully over time.

But retention alone is not the same as engagement. JLL’s research shows that compliance does not equal commitment: People may turn up, but whether they stay invested depends on whether their time, well-being and growth are respected.

“If an office feels more like an obligation than a place where you want to be, people stop bringing their best selves to work,” Maria says. Over time, that erosion leaves individuals feeling stuck and forced to choose between a fulfilling career and a life outside of it.
Success, in other words, no longer looks the way it once did.

According to career transition coach Terry Toh, many professionals in their first decade of work are moving away from the old, linear model altogether. Instead, they define a “good job” through a small set of non-negotiables: fair pay, meaningful impact and real opportunities for growth – not just in title, but in skills, mentorship and long-term development.

Younger workers are not rejecting hard work so much as questioning whether a one-size-fits-all path still makes sense in an era of constant change. What is emerging is not a single new way of working, but a clear set of patterns in how people are navigating risk, opportunity and ambition.

EXPERTS

- Liyana Soh, head of marketing at Jobstreet by Seek (Singapore)
- Terry Toh, founder and career transition coach at TalktoTerry Coaching and Consulting

Trend: Job hugging

Frequent job moves are slowing as more workers choose to hold on to the roles they already have. This “job hugging” instinct isn’t so much comfort as it is caution; with the economy sending mixed signals, people are prioritising steady ground over quick jumps. It’s a shift that suggests predictability now outweighs the appeal of rapid advancement.

Expert’s take: “If you’re job-hugging or feeling uncertain, it helps to start with an open conversation with your manager,” says Liyana.

“Be clear about both your short-term priorities and longer-term goals – focusing on just one can lead to misalignment over time. You might be surprised by what your employer can offer when you speak up early and clearly,” she adds.

Trend: Emotional salary

With budgets tightening, employers are leaning more heavily on what’s often called “emotional salary” – recognition, flexibility, purpose and autonomy – as pay rises become harder to secure. These non-monetary factors are playing a bigger role in whether roles feel worth staying in. For Liyana, consistent recognition and a clear sense of purpose can sustain engagement, even without top-of-market pay.

This trade-off is increasingly common. Data from Deel shows that only a small share of employees feel their pay is keeping pace with inflation, while many are asking for more flexibility and control over compensation – a sign that emotional support and financial benefits are now being weighed together.

Expert’s take: “There often comes a point where emotional salary alone isn’t enough, especially as responsibilities and life stages shift. Data at Jobstreet by Seek shows that nine in 10 employers recognise that employee priorities evolve over time,” Liyana reveals.

“That makes regular check-ins essential – and it’s just as important for employees to speak up when their expectations or needs have changed, so alignment doesn’t drift,” she explains.

Trend: Microshifting

Microshifting is emerging as the next phase of workplace flexibility. Instead of working in one uninterrupted block, employees break their day into shorter, focused stretches that fit naturally around the rest of their lives.

It allows for school runs, caregiving, workouts or a brief reset, without denting output – productivity holds, even as the day flexes around real life. For Liyana, this works best when teams are aligned on outcomes rather than hours.

“We don’t track when people clock in or out in our office,” she says. “As long as key meetings and timelines are met, giving people autonomy over their day helps sustain productivity while making work easier to live with.”

Expert’s take: “For microshifting to work, it needs open conversations about the hours and environments that support people best. When organisations focus more on outcomes than time spent, and teams align clearly on shared goals and timelines, flexibility can benefit both individuals and the wider team,” notes Liyana.

“Trust and mutual consideration are what ultimately make these arrangements sustainable.”

Trend: Conscious unbossing

In the same spirit that popularised Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin’s “conscious uncoupling”, a growing number of employees – particularly younger ones – are embracing what’s now being called “conscious unbossing”. Rather than defaulting to people-management roles, they’re choosing balance, autonomy and well-being over the traditional climb, prompting companies to rethink how ambition and progression are defined.

According to Liyana, this looks less like disengagement and more like intention. “When a company offers recognition and a clear sense of purpose, people don’t always feel the need to chase the next title,” she says.

Expert’s take: “Employees often understand their limits best, but it’s important not to underestimate their own capabilities. Decisions like unbossing or turning down a promotion benefit from weighing short-term relief against longer-term career goals and perceptions,” Liyana points out.

Trend: LinkedIn envy

If scrolling Linkedin leaves you feeling like everyone else is moving faster – new roles, promotions, big announcements – you’re not alone.

Linkedin envy captures the pressure that comes from comparing your own career to the curated successes of others online.

Expert’s take: “Comparison is almost unavoidable when we spend so much time online, but it’s rarely fair. Social media – especially Linkedin – shows a highlight reel, not the full context,” Terry points out.

Trend: Lilypadding

Lilypadding describes a more strategic form of job-hopping, where workers move laterally between roles to build skills rather than chase titles.

Expert’s take: “I’ve always approached roles as opportunities to build skills, not just job titles,” shares Terry.

Trend: AI workslop

As generative AI becomes embedded in everyday work, a new problem is emerging: low-quality AI-generated output.

Expert’s take: “A lot of so-called ‘AI workslop’ comes down to poor inputs, not flawed tools,” Terry says.

Trend: Human-AI co-crafting

Human-AI co-crafting describes a way of working where humans remain responsible for judgment and direction.

Expert’s take: “AI works best as a support to human thinking – not a substitute,” Terry points out.