Speech at “Our Work-Life Journey – Towards Greater Business Success”

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education, Sheraton Towers Singapore

Ms Claire Chiang,
Chairperson of Employer Alliance

Members of Employer Alliance Executive Committee

Tripartite Partners

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. A very good morning to one and all. I am heartened to see so many like-minded employers and individuals today united in our common cause - to champion work-life strategies. Doing this for some years we have seen very good progress, and I would like to thank Employer Alliance, partners and passionate volunteers in championing this.
   
   Gear Up For The Future of Work
2. In today’s borderless and 24/7 economy, traditional work arrangements may no longer be the norm, nor are they able to meet the changing needs of employees. At the same time, for many businesses, “work” is becoming less defined by a fixed office or a fixed time period. Workers are demanding more choices and autonomy on when, where and how to work to meet their work-life arrangements. So it is not governed by one single aspiration to have a job, but a job that can fulfil their other needs and ambitions.
3. Some employers hold the view that it is not their business to take care of their employees’ personal needs. Such employers may lose out in attracting and retaining talent and valued employees, if they ignore the needs of their employees. The increasing importance of workplace flexibility is demonstrated by various studies ranking it as one of the top criteria for those seeking employment. According to a SNEF-StrategiCom study¹ last year, work-life balance was ranked the third most important attribute in attracting talent, and fifth most important when it comes to retaining them. In another study by Mercer² this year, flexible work schedule is the fourth most important reward factor influencing motivation and engagement. Employers who adopt appropriate Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) would have an edge over their competitors. They will have access to a wider manpower pool, a more engaged workforce whose work-life needs are better met and, in many cases, lower absenteeism, and better staff retention.
4. In Singapore, the work-life challenge can be immediate for some of us. The reality is that couples are not having as many children and our population is aging. At some point in the future, FWAs will no longer be a ‘good or nice to have’ but rather a must-have - as more of us have to shoulder either elder or child care duties while managing work responsibilities. I am glad that the Government through many of its agencies are now focusing on child care and elder care needs, as our demographics are changing very fast. To attract the talents that they need, employers must meet the needs of the changing profile of the workforce. That is happening sooner than we think. We should get a head start now and look into how we can better integrate flexible work practices within our organisations.
5. Many of you will also agree that the environment that we are operating in is more volatile and diverse than ever. In the face of intensifying competition and rapid change, flexibility is key to being nimble and responsive to challenges and opportunities. Take the example of the 2009 downturn. Some employers leveraged on FWAs to scale down on their manpower cost so that they do not have to resort to retrenchment. Such flexibility enabled them to tide through the downturn and yet retain experienced staff so that they were better positioned to seize opportunities when the economy recovered and business picked up again.
   
   Leverage on Employer Alliance
6. So how can companies start implementing FWAs at the workplace? You have taken a big first step by being here today, and by joining the Employer Alliance. The Employer Alliance is a valuable partner in your work-life journey. It offers various resources such as development forums, case studies, and consultancy clinics. They also have a Work-Life Tool Kit to help you explore different options of FWAs as well as other work-life programmes. We know that implementing work-Life programmes is not easy, but with the examples that Employer Alliance collected, resources and the tool kit will help you zoom in to practices that may work for your company. The Tool Kit also has tips and checklists to help you with the implementation. It is available on the Employer Alliance website³, and I encourage you to make use of it if you have not.
   
   Congratulate Winners of My Work-Life Story Contest
7. More recently, the Employer Alliance started running a contest to showcase real stories of how work-life strategies have enabled employees to fulfil both their work and personal aspirations and needs, and helped them be more engaged in their work. One of the winning entries I would like to highlight here came from Dr. Helen Chen from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). She has been working flexibly for the past 5 years, juggling both work and child care responsibilities. She had even set up a new women’s mental health service during this time, a testament that being on FWAs does not reduce one’s productivity but can in fact improve it. As a result of the trust and support given to her, she is highly engaged and goes the extra mile for her patients and the hospital. Well done, Helen!
8. To all the winners, I would like to say congratulations and thank you for sharing your experiences. To their employers, I want to give you credit for making work-life harmony a reality at the workplace and helping your employees fulfil their other needs. I hope your stories will inspire more employers to follow suit, and begin their rewarding relationships with work-life strategies as well.
   
   Conclusion
9. On this note, I would also like to thank the Employer Alliance for 10 good years of passionate pursuit of enabling work-life friendly workplaces. You have grown your membership to over 1,000 companies from a wide range of industries, and your efforts in capability building have also helped companies implement work-life strategies more effectively. Your contributions have been valuable and I look forward to seeing more good initiatives from the Employer Alliance and from your members. Since they have done a good job over the last 10 years, we can expect them to do even better in the next 10 years.
10. Let me close by thanking Claire, Employer Alliance Executive Committee members and partners for doing a good job. You should continue to work together to face the more exciting challenges in the way ahead.
    
    Thank you.