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Flexibility in Workplaces of the Future

Flexible work arrangements help companies attract and retain valuable employees

Employment practices
04 November 2013

  1. Transform your workplace to accommodate the diverse work-life needs of your employees now, or risk losing them tomorrow – that is the call by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower to employers at the Work-Life Conference 2013 today.
  2. Elaborating, Dr Khor said, “As the next generation workforce starts to enter the labour force, employers who do not pay attention to work-life harmony and flexible work arrangements will find themselves at the losing end in this global war for talent. The tight labour market means that employers have to find more innovative ways to tap on alternative sources of manpower.”

    Flexibility strategies essential for companies to remain competitive in the future
  3. The biennial Work-Life Conference, organised by the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy, attracted more than 450 CEOs, union leaders, HR leaders and employers across industries and Asia. The Conference adopted Flexibility: Transforming Workplaces For The Future as the theme for this year, to emphasise the need for organisations to adopt flexibility as a business strategy to remain competitive for the future.
  4. Encouraging companies to move beyond awareness to action, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education said, “As more companies become increasingly aware of the value of workplace flexibility, we encourage them to take concrete steps by offering their employees flexible work arrangements. This will help employees harmonise work and personal commitments, which will in turn improve organisation efficiency and engagement.”
  5. Visiting keynote speaker Ms Cali Williams Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex + Strategy Group, Work + Life Fit, Inc., echoed the same sentiment. A flexible workplace strategist who has worked with organisations such as Ernst & Young and Novo Nordisk, Ms Yost said, “To achieve the highest levels of innovation, productivity and engagement, the most progressive businesses are learning to be flexible in how, when and where work is done and life is managed. That flexibility must meet the unique needs of the business, as well as the needs of the individual, because no two work and life realities are the same. Today's wired, competitive global economy requires a new employer-employee partnership that allows each of us to be our best, on and off the job, and our organizations to thrive.”

    “My Work-Life Story” contest showcases employers with good work-life harmony practices
  6. Dr Khor also presented the prizes for Employer Alliance’s “My Work-Life Story” contest during the conference. The contest, in its third year, attracted twice as many entries this year. Employees were invited to share their stories of how they have benefitted from their companies’ flexible work arrangements and work-life strategies. These stories reflect a positive shift in employers’ attitudes towards the implementation of flexible work arrangements, and in employees’ attitudes towards utilising such arrangements.
  7. The top three winners of the contest were Kevin Goh, Lim Wanxuan, and Shona Findlay. Taking home the top prize, Kevin, an Audit Manager from KPMG, had shared in his entry how KPMG allows him to fulfil his personal aspirations as a National Chess player through the company’s “Programme for Elite Athletes in KPMG”.

    For a full list of winners for My Work-Life Story contest, please refer to Annex A.
    For more information, the public can visit     www.worklifeconference.sg

About Work-Life Conference 2013
More than 450 participants comprising human resource professionals, work-life practitioners, union representatives, employers and government officials from across Asia are expected to attend the Work-Life Conference 2013 at the Concorde Hotel Singapore on 4 November 2013.

The Work-Life Conference 2013 aims to provide insights into how organisations can engage a multi-generational workforce with diverse needs and create new solutions and work models to maximise employment with flexibility, technology and innovation. Ms Cali Yost, CEO and Founder of Flex + Strategy Group, Work + Life Fit, Inc. will show organisations how they can offer more flexible work options that respond to business pressures, while becoming more agile in delivering customer demands and improving the quality of life for employees.

About the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy
The Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy was set up in September 2000 to drive the promotion of work-life harmony in Singapore. Comprising over ten members representing employers, unions and the Government, it organises national level programmes and activities to increase the practice of work-life strategies at the workplace. The committee also formulate measures to help organisations build capability in implementing work-life strategies.

Annex A- My Work-Life Story Contest Winners