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Speech at Work-Life Conference 2011

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Chairman, Suntec Convention Centre, Level 2 Ballroom, Singapore

Employment practices
Ms Cham Hui Fong,
Assistant Secretary-General, NTUC

Ms Claire Chiang
Chairperson, Employer Alliance

Ms Ang Kuan Kuan
Senior Director (Industrial Relations), SNEF

Delegates from the ASEAN member countries

Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

  1. A very good morning to all of you. It gives me great pleasure to join you here today for the Work-Life Conference 2011.
  2. We are fortunate to have had a strong recovery last year. This year, despite economic uncertainties on the horizon, the Singapore economy is projected to grow by 5% to 6%. It is therefore a happy problem for us that we are still seeing a tight labour market. The unemployment rate in June is at a low of 2.1%. With the labour market operating at almost full employment, employers are facing greater competition in recruiting and retaining valued employees.
  3. At last’s year conference, I had highlighted that employers will need to go beyond offering a good remuneration package to distinguish themselves from their competitors. Having work-life strategies is a key factor in attracting and retaining talent, as increasingly, employees are looking to meet both their career aspirations and needs in their personal life.
  4. Work-life strategies have helped organisations introduce flexibility to their workplace for their employees and reap positive results. These benefits include higher morale and employee retention, as well as improved time management and productivity. Over the years, we have seen an increase in the number of organisations that have implemented flexible work arrangements. Based on MOM’s survey in 2010, 35% of establishments offered some form of work-life arrangement, an improvement from 25% in 20071. However, there is still room for improvement. The case for having an effective work-life strategy is clear, but yet the number who adopt is still quite low. Businesses say this is because they do not know how to implement work-life programmes, including the lack of trust from managers or supervisors and the fear of abuse by employees.
  5. This year’s conference is therefore designed with these concerns in mind. While we will continue to promote a flexible work culture to better manage an increasingly diverse workforce, the Conference will address challenges that managers and employees might face in implementing and using work-life programmes and initiatives, in particular, flexible work arrangements.
  6. Many of you are aware of flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, flexi-time, part-time and having a compressed workweek2. This year’s conference will introduce another type of flexible work arrangement that is relatively new to Singapore – home-based work. Home-based work is quite different from telecommuting. For telecommuters, the office remains the primary work location. For home-based employees, the primary location of work is the home, although employees may still be required to attend meetings in office or with clients from time to time. Home-based work leverages on Infocomm Technology (or ICT in short) to connect employees to their office, colleagues and clients.
  7. A tripartite workgroup, comprising IDA, MOM and our tripartite partners NTUC and SNEF, was set up last year to study how employers can be encouraged and helped to leverage on ICT to offer home-based work. The study concluded that home-based work can bring wide-ranging benefits not only to the economy, but to both employers and employees when implemented effectively. Home-based work can reduce office overhead costs, improve productivity through flexible work scheduling as well as enhance business continuity. Employers with home-based work programmes can also gain access to workers who, for various reasons, prefer to work from home.
  8. As home-based work is a relatively new concept in Singapore, the Workgroup’s study recommended that support be given to employers to offer home-based jobs. For a start, we need to share with employers how to implement home-based work. Today, I am pleased to launch a “Work@Home” guidebook for employers which will help employers with this by providing information and tips. You will find a copy in your conference pack.
  9. As Singapore is well-positioned for home-based work because of our well-developed ICT infrastructure, the Tripartite Workgroup also recommended leveraging on ICT to support home-based jobs. Today, more than 80% of our homes already have broadband access3, and our infrastructure will be further enhanced with the progressive roll-out of the Next Generation Nationwide Broadband Network, which offers ultra-high speed broadband connection.
  10. There are some companies which are already taking advantage of home-based work to improve their operations. For example, SP Services extended the Work-From-Home scheme to 20 of their call centre officers since 2009. By deploying more home-based workers during peak period and after office hours, SP Services is able to extend its operational hours to enhance its customer service. Employees under the scheme are also happy with the flexibility, and customer satisfaction has also increased from 83% of customers rating very satisfied and satisfied in 2008, to 86% in 2010.
  11. I urge companies who are keen to implement home-based jobs as part of their work-life strategies, to get in touch with IDA, as it is currently seeking industry partners for a pilot project to develop solutions and tools to facilitate home-based work.
  12. On this note, I would like to thank members and partners of the Tripartite Workgroup for their study, and also the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy for organising this year’s Work-Life Conference and for their relentless efforts to bring the work-life message to companies and employees. I am heartened by the strong turnout today, and am confident that we will continue to make good progress towards greater work-life harmony in our society.
  13. I wish you a fruitful Conference. Thank you.
1Source: MOM (Conditions of Employment, 2010)

2Compressed Workweek is an arrangement in which an employee works his/her full-time hours (e.g. 40 hours) in fewer than the normal number of days per work week.

3Source: Report on the Tripartite Workgroup on ICT-enabled Home-Based Jobs