Younger Singaporeans are overworked

QX179R SG

Nominated Member of Parliament, Paulin Tay Straughan has urged the Government to address the concern of overwork among younger Singaporeans.

Speaking during the Budget debate in parliament today, Associate Professor Straughan said this is necessary in order to tackle the issue of the country's low fertility rate.

She believes that the problem lies in the demands of paid work.

"I propose that we should relook the performance based evaluation system, so that we can develop clear, reasonable performance targets for employees in the various job capacities. Currently, we leave too much to peer competition to determine outstanding performance.

This results in a high-stressed situation where employees have to constantly out-compete each other for that illusive "A" grade each year. While this system may result in more efficient output in the short run, there are adverse effects to the long term sustainability of a stable Singapore."

Associate Professor Straughan urged the Civil Service to take the lead in protecting the private time for Singaporeans to engage in an active social life and nurture relationships.

She also spoke of her concerns over the well-being of the elderly.

She stressed the need to put in place infrastructure that supports ageing-in-place.

While she applauded the HDB for introducing the studio apartment concept, she proposed that the Board consider an "executive condo" concept to meet the housing needs of upper-middle income elderly.

"Rather than have each of these households exist independently and reliant on an foreign domestic workers to facilitate ageing in place, I think it will be more cost-effective for Singapore if we provide for housing needs of this group of older Singaporeans through the provision of retirement communities. These executive condo communities will have infrastructure that supports assisted living and will promote ageing in place."

She suggested that HDB consider planning for "Pinnacle II @ Changi", where studio apartments will be showcased in a private estate tailored to meet the needs of the elderly.

-- 938Live

Askingyouto SG

Not unless they can stop dirt cheap workers from coming, or else, everything is wayang only.

Foreigners can work til they drop dead, they gain more work experience and will becomes managers and directors, so you want young people to stop now, then whole streets full of beggers loh.

AYYX SG

I am overworked...

Asromanista2001 SG

PAP :

'' if we don't overwork the average S'porean...................then how are we to pay those obscene salaries to our UNDER-worked ministers and MPs ? ''

tranquilice SG

44 working hours per week is already more than enough.

Rock^Star SG

so many NMPs come and go over the years.....this is another forgettable argument (what argument lol) in parliament.

charlize SG

We need to be cheaper, better and faster.

That means working longer hours at twice the speed at lower pay.

tranquilice SG

We need to be cheaper, better and faster.

That means working longer hours at twice the speed at lower pay.

Only the foreigners need to be cheaper, better, faster.

Singaporean workers are expensive, no good and slow.

Fcukpap SG

overworked again is one aspect of low fertility...where overtime and stress levels may adversely affect fertility.....aside to high cost of living....

this could be added on with unbalanced gender policies which cause late marriages or fear of greater commitments and liabilities.....

in total....the stress is insurmountable...esp. for sg men.....

suicide rates have also gone up.....

ask what are we heading for?

Fcukpap SG

a radical review of the social psychology of ground life is imperative given the record low fertility....

how long more do you want to wait for miracles to happen?

Fcukpap SG

for all your economic scorecard and subsidies......its the grasp of social psychology that fails you....