SINGAPORE: A national study has shown that work-life
harmony in Singapore has been stable over the past six
years.
The 2012 National Work-Life Harmony Study, conducted
by the Social and Family Development Ministry, shows Singapore
having an index of 63.
This is a notch lower than the index of 64, achieved
in the inaugural study in 2006.
In the study, zero indicates "no harmony", while 100 means "total
harmony".
The study found that employees who scored 70 or higher tend to
report better work, family and personal outcomes.
Those with children and who spend more time dining with family
members also enjoy better work-life harmony.
While the workplace is generally supportive of work-life needs, the
study showed more could be done with regard to flexibility at
work.
This is especially so for mothers and younger employees.
"I hope that more employers will take the initiative to even just
have a chat with these mothers. To understand the needs and
requirements, before these women decide to quit, when they face a
no-solution situation, because it is very costly for any business
to lose a talented employee," said Yeo Mui Ean, president of Women
Empowered for Work and Mothering.
"And of course one other group we have in the workforce is really
the Generation Y. They have dreams they want to pursue beyond work.
And in order to energise and engage them, we need to realise that
this group of Generation Y work best in a manner that is different
from the baby boomers and Generation X."
- CNA/xq
