1. careers
2. telecommuting

FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKLIFE PRACTICES
STUDY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF
FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKLIFE PRACTICES
IN SINGAPORE’S
PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS
Brief extracts from this paper may be reproduced for use provided the source is acknowledged.
STUDYON IMPLEMENTATION OF
FAMILY-FRIENDLY WORKLIFE PRACTICES
IN SINGAPORE’S
PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS
FOR
PROFESSOR LUKE NOVELLI JR.
UNIVERSITAS 21 GLOBAL
ADJUNCT FACULTY
PREPARED
BY
TAN KIM LIM
UNIVERSITAS 21 GLOBAL
MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
23 OCTOBER 2006
2
Table of Contents
1
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 5
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
2
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 7
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
3
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................... 7
SAMPLE SIZE ........................................................................................................................ 7
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................... 7
LIMITATIONS......................................................................................................................... 8
RESPONDENTS‟ RESPONSE ..................................................................................................... 8
IMPORTANCE OF FRIENDLY-FAMILY WORKPLACES PRACTICES ........................ 9
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
4
BACKGROUND ...................................................................................................................... 5
PURPOSE............................................................................................................................... 5
SUMMARISED KEY FINDINGS................................................................................................. 5
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................. 6
YOUNGER WORKFORCE ........................................................................................................ 9
GREATER WOMEN‟S PARTICIPATION ..................................................................................... 9
CHANGING WORKFORCE‟S EXPECTATION ............................................................................ 10
CHANGING ROLES OF MAN .................................................................................................. 10
GREYING WORKFORCE........................................................................................................ 10
INCREASED COMPETITION FOR TALENT ............................................................................... 10
GLOBALISATION AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY .............................................................. 10
RESEARCH FINDINGS ........................................................................................................ 11
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
CULTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE......................................................................................... 11
EMPLOYEE SUPPORT SCHEMES ............................................................................................ 12
LEAVE BENEFITS ................................................................................................................. 12
FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS ....................................................................................... 13
4.4.1
4.4.2
4.4.3
4.4.4
4.4.5
Flexi-time Work ........................................................................................................... 13
Part-time Work ............................................................................................................ 13
Job-Sharing ................................................................................................................. 14
Compressed Workweek................................................................................................. 14
Telecommuting ............................................................................................................ 14
4.5 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SCHEMES....................................................................................... 15
4.6 BARRIERS AND KEY SUCCESS FACTORS............................................................................... 15
4.6.1
4.6.2
4.6.3
4.6.4
4.6.5
5
Supportive culture and buy-in from management ......................................................... 16
Support from Line Managers ....................................................................................... 16
Dedication of Resources .............................................................................................. 16
Good Communication Strategy .................................................................................... 16
Strong IT Infrastructure ............................................................................................... 16
BENEFITS AND CONCERNS IDENTIFIED BY ORGANISATIONS............................... 17
5.1 BENEFITS ............................................................................................................................ 17
5.1.1
5.1.2
5.1.3
5.1.4
5.1.5
5.1.6
Larger Recruitment Pool.............................................................................................. 17
Better Retention Strategy ............................................................................................. 17
Lesser Stress, Absenteeism and Better Health .............................................................. 17
Employees’ Morale ...................................................................................................... 18
Benefits to Employees .................................................................................................. 18
Better Customer Satisfaction and Higher Profits .......................................................... 18
3
5.2 CONCERNS IDENTIFIED BY RESPONDENTS ............................................................................ 18
5.2.1
5.2.2
5.2.3
6
Additional Demands on Supervisory Staff .................................................................... 18
Concern Over Customer Care ...................................................................................... 19
Other Concerns............................................................................................................ 19
RECOMMENDATIONS – A STRATEGIC APPROACH ................................................... 20
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
PHASE 1 - ESTABLISH THE NEED TO IMPLEMENT / MODIFY FFW PRACTICES ........................... 20
PHASE 2 - DEDICATE RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION ..................................................... 20
PHASE 3 - CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................. 21
PHASE 4 - DESIGN FFW PRACTICES ..................................................................................... 21
PHASE 5 - COMMUNICATE FFW PRACTICES ......................................................................... 22
PHASE 6 – LAUNCH AND IMPLEMENT FFW PRACTICES ......................................................... 22
PHASE 7 - EVALUATE FFW PRACTICES................................................................................. 23
7
CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................................... 24
8
REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................... 40
4
1
1.1
Executive Summary
Background
Singapore is a small island republic that is highly dependent on its human resources. Indeed,
the success of the Singapore economy relies heavily on the talents and skills of its people (Choon
2003). Unlike its neighbouring countries, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India, Singapore has
few natural resources. Yet, Singapore has consistently ranked as one of the most competitive
countries in the world (Toh & Tan 1998), a feature attributed to the efficacious utilisation of the
human capital of the republic.
On the other hand, it has been observed that work and family conflicts have emerged as an
increasingly important research topic in the last few decades. According to Zedeck (1992), this
phenomenon is partly due to the increase in number of women in the workplace, the changing attitudes
toward work and the changing roles of family members. Furthermore, today‟s workplace is
increasingly populated with working women, single parents, and dual-career couples (Thomas &
Ganster 1995). The potential for work-family conflict increases as these working parents or dual
couples struggle with the everyday work and home responsibilities. Having said that, one have to note
that family friendly workplace (FFW) initiatives such as flexi time, permanent part time work, job
sharing, the compressed working week and telecommuting had been widely practised in developed
countries for several decades (Rogers 1992).
1.2
Purpose
The study will identify on how prevalent FFW initiatives are implemented by Singapore‟s
private sector employers. In addition, this study will highlight the perceptions, challenges and the
approach that private sector employers adopted in implementing them. Recommendations addressing
the findings of the study will be proposed as well.
1.3
Summarised Key Findings
From the surveys, it is noted that most of the respondents (87.5%) are aware of FFW practices
and acknowledged that implementing these practices will increase productivity and motivates the
employees.
The research also revealed that only 50% of the organisations incorporate FFW practices as
part of their core values and out of which, only a mere 25% provides dedicated resources to address
FFW issues.
Generally, 87.5% of the respondents have activities that involved the family members of the
employees, such as “bring your children to work day”, “Family Day”, etc. The research noted that all
respondents also provide leave benefits above the legislative requirements. Some organisations valueadded the leave benefits by providing employees other forms of leaves such as family-care leaves,
examination leave, and marriage leave which are not mandated in the legislation.
Despite that, this study suggested that organisations should pay more emphasize on Employee
Support Schemes to assist employees in managing demands and life outside workplace.
From the responses, it is also noted that the most popular Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA)
adopted is part-time employment (87.5%) with the least popular being job-sharing (12.5%). Generally
speaking, the results revealed that all respondents provided at least one form of FWA.
5
Many respondents indicated that gaining management support is one of the key challenges that
they faced in implementing these practices. Some attributed the failure in implementing these practices
due to lack of communication and clear guidelines.
87.5% of the respondents are aware on the government initiatives to encourage
implementation of FFW practices. However, they indicated that the government should reinforced
FFW notions by organising more public education seminars to engage senior management of
organisations. They also hoped the government can develop clear and simple guidelines in guiding
organisations implementing these practices.
Many respondents pointed out that key success factors in implementing successful FFW
programs are senior management commitment, clear guidelines, good communication and allocation
of resources for such implementation.
1.4
Recommendations
This study noted that not all organisations adopted a systematic approach in implementing
FFW benefits. Therefore, to further the promotion of FFW practices in organisations and to maximise
its benefits to the Singapore private sectors organisations, this study recommends organisations to
adopt a systematic and strategic approach in implementing FFW practices. The proposed model
consists of seven phases, namely:(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
Establish the need to implement / modify FFW practices;
Dedicate Resources for Implementation
Consultation with Stakeholders
Design FFW practices
Communicate FFW practices
Launch and Implement
Evaluate FFW practices
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2
Introduction
The phrase „family friendly workplace‟ (FFW) has been increasingly used in formulation of
workplace policy. The successful implementation of FFW arrangements have been found to contribute
to a conducive and supportive work environment (Carmody 1992). Indeed, FFW arrangements enable
companies to attract, motivate and retain valued employees who are committed and dedicated in
playing an important role in helping their organisations achieve business success (Saltzein & Ting
2001).
2.1
Purpose and Objectives
It has long been recognised that FFW practices will result in a happier, more engaged and
motivated workforce because workers are able to fulfil their work and family care responsibilities at
the same time. Though FFW is a well-established concept, it has been noted that many organisations,
especially private sector employers face challenges in implementing these initiatives. Therefore, this
study is carried out to understand how well these initiatives have been implemented, what are the
perceptions, challenges and the approaches that private sector employers have adopted in
implementing them. Specifically, this paper will:(a) Analyse and to determine the importance organisations‟ place in implementation of FFW
Practices vis-à-vis other HR initiatives;
(b) Study on how prevalence FFW initiatives are implemented;
(c) Identify general perception of employers on FFW practices;
(d) Identify potential benefits and costs through implementation of FFW practices;
(e) Highlight challenges of introducing and maintaining FFW practices; and
(f) Recommend strategies in implementing FFW practices.
2.2
Sample Size
A total of 10 private organisations with at least 100 employees have been randomly selected
for this study. Of these, only 8 of the selected organisations have responded. The respondents are from
different economic sector of the industry.
2.3
Research Methodology
All respondents were issued with semi-structured questionnaire (Annex A). The objective of
this questionnaire was to capture information on the extent of implementation and utilisation of FFW
initiatives in the workplace.
This method has been chosen as it is a relatively inexpensive method and pragmatic as
respondents can respond to the questionnaires at their convenient time. The questionnaire is presented
as an attachment to the email, which is addressed to the Human Resource Manager or equivalent. The
questionnaire is accompanied with a covering letter, indicating the purpose and objective of this
research. Participation in the survey was voluntary and anonymous.
The questionnaire is adapted from the Employee Opinion Survey and National Survey of
Friendly Work Practices of Employers developed by Ministry of Community Youth and Sports. The
questionnaire is divided into 5 main parts, with the first part asking respondents on the incorporation
of family-friendly policy as part of their strategic planning. Part 2 to Part 4 examines how prevalent
FFW initiatives are introduced in the organisation. The final part of the questionnaire study into the
demographics of the respondent with open-ended questions asking them on their opinions on the
challenges they faced and key success factors in implementing such initiatives.
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2.4
Limitations
The main limitation of this research is the small sample size that is engaged for this study. This is
due to the short time-frame of 12 weeks. Therefore, this study will focus on the general overview on
the private sector instead of industry-specific analysis.
2.5
Respondents‟ Response
All respondents have participated actively throughout this study. They were cooperative and
welcomed the opportunity to discuss FFW issues. Some of the respondents have requested for copies
of this paper to be made available to them. Throughout this process, respondents shared that this study
has dawned upon them on the importance and the need to revisit their respective FFW programmes.
This paper is organized as follows: Section 3 discusses the trends and changes that contribute
to the growing importance of FFW practices. Section 4 will discuss on the research findings. Section
5 discusses on the benefits and costs for the introduction of FFW practices. Following that, Section 6
will present the recommendations with Section 7 being the conclusion.
8
3
Importance of Friendly-Family Workplaces Practices
The need to manage work-life balance has arisen out of the increasing diversity brought by
changing demographics of the work force as well as changing social values and globalisation of
economies and markets (Jackson & Ruderman 1995; Way 1999) . This section will explore on the
trends that contributed to the growing importance of FFW practices.
3.1
Younger Workforce
The landscape of Singapore‟s workforce is changing with the growing participation of younger
workforce from the post-independence group (i.e. Singaporeans born after 1965). As mentioned by
Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong at National Day‟s Rally Speech in 2004, this group of
Singaporean are different from their parents, they have grown up in different circumstances, they have
different points of reference, different expectations, different values and much more exposed to the
outside.
Looking from another angle, we can classify the post-independence employee group into
Generation X and Generation Y employees. Generation X refers to those typically born from 1965 to
1975. This term is used by marketing professionals to describe the post baby-boomers (also known as
baby-busters) in a low birth rate environment. This group is described to be more concerned with
actual emotional and financial security. This generation is also the first “sandwiched” generation who
faces heavy eldercare and childcare responsibilities. Generation Y, on the other hand, refers to those
born after 1977 when there is a surge in birth rates (also known as baby boomlets). This generation is
stereotyped to be fun-loving and have strong attitudes as well as personalities. They are also IT savvy
and possess information at their fingertips. A study by London School of Economics and Policy
Studies Institute has found that majority of the Generation X and Y population are more likely to
remain in employment if allowed a balance in work hours.
According to the Yearbook of Statistics 2006 (Ministry of Manpower 2006) (Table 1) issued
by Ministry of Manpower, it revealed that, as at June 2005, out of the total 2.26 million employed
Singaporeans, 59.2% of the workforce belongs to the post-independence group (i.e. after 1965).
Compared to year 2000 (Table 2), we see an increase of work-force participation rate for
Singaporeans from that age group.
With more post-independence generation joining the workforce, it is important for employers
to recognise the different priorities that employees have at this stage and implementing benefits /
policies targeting at this group of employees.
3.2
Greater Women‟s Participation
The notion of FFW represents a shift away from the gender specificity on employment to one
that emphasis on family (Kirrane & Ryan 2000). Similar to many other Asian countries, Singapore‟s
female labour force participation rate has grown steadily throughout the years (Khatri 2000).
Reference to table 3, we can see that the female participation rate has increased from 55.5% (2000) to
56.6% (2005). Therefore, employers must ensure that the FFW policies are catered to the women‟s
workforce.
9
3.3
Changing Workforce‟s Expectation
One key trend that drives the implementation of FFW practices is the changes in the
workforce‟s expectation. Today, higher salaries and larger sign-on bonuses are not the key
determining factors in buying loyalty and job satisfaction. Rather, it is the work-life programmes that
organisations invested that can bring about employees‟ happiness and satisfaction (Debra 2006). In a
recent survey conducted by University of Southern California (David 2006), it is reported that 86% of
the 4,500 surveyed employees agreed that work-life balance is the most important factor, followed by
job security (74%), financial rewards (71%), work autonomy (57%), career satisfaction (51%) and
career advancement (46%). With balancing work-life initiatives overtaken benefits and compensation
as key factor in employee satisfaction (John 2006), employers will have to implement programmes that
cater to the different needs of employees.
3.4
Changing Roles of Man
There is growing evidence that FFW are also becoming an important issue to men too (Burke
2000). This is due to the development of dual-income family where both father and mother got to have
an equal share of responsibilities in managing the household. In today‟s context, it is no longer
presumed that the father is the sole breadwinner or that his role is to provide the weekly wage packet.
Today‟s fathers are now expected to be present at the birth of their child, to be emotionally involved
with them and subsequently to take an interest in their schooling and to share in the housework. This
is evident in Singapore‟s context where the Government introduces leave benefits, which applies to
male civil servants, such as child-care leave, paternity care leave, etc.
3.5
Greying Workforce
Singapore‟s population, like many developed countries is rapidly ageing. In 1998, 14%
(451,900) of our population are above 55 years old. This figure will increase to 27% (1.12 million) by
2020 (Ministry of Manpower 1999). Of the 1.12 million Singaporeans by 2020, 19% will be 55 and
this is more than double as compared to 1998.
With this impending trend, organisations will have to introduce alternative working
arrangements such as job-sharing, telecommuting, part-time employment, etc. In addition,
organisations may need to simplify work processes and to re-design work so as to facilitate the
employment of older workers.
3.6
Increased Competition for Talent
Human capital has emerged as a key asset that can distinguish an organisation from its
competitors. Valued talent can be decisive to an organisation‟s fortunes and future. Hence, any
forward-looking organisation should position work-life balance strategies as one of a recruitment tool
to attract, develop and retain the talent.
3.7
Globalisation and Advances in Technology
Globalisation has changed the way many businesses operate. In fact, many services are now
offering 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Many businesses have to keep up with events that occur in
different time zones and managers have to process information more than ever before. The advances
of technology have made it easier to manage this rapid change. Telecommuting equipment allows
employees to be productive away from the office. Software like document management system, email
services, etc allows employees from different parts of the world to collaborate. With the advent of
technologies, organisations can make use of them to offer flexible employment arrangement for its
employees.
10
4
Research Findings
Generally speaking, FFW comprised of two elements (Ministry of Manpower 2005):Culture and Infrastructure
Culture and infrastructure provide an overarching framework for FFW programs to operate in.
Without this framework, these programs will suffer lack of support and direction. The different
aspects of culture and infrastructure include employee development and engagement, outcomebased performance management and annual employee needs assessment.
Work Life Programs
Work-life programs are initiatives which are implemented to facilitate the employees to juggle
between work and family commitments. It can be further classified into three main areas which
are Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA), leave benefits and employee support schemes.
4.1
Culture and Infrastructure
From graph 1, the research noted that 50% of the survey respondents indicated that they
incorporated FFW practices as part of their core values. In fact, Hitt et al (2003) refer to this (i.e.
shared values) as a dominant trust among the leaders and employees. Only with such culture of trust
and understanding throughout the organisation will increase the likelihood that employees to be fully
committed working toward the achievement of the firm‟s vision and goals (Michael & Hitt 2002).
Despite the above, it is noted many organisations provide little resources to ensure the
successful implementation of FFW practices.
From graph 2, we can see that out of the 50% respondents who indicated that they
incorporate FFW practices as their core values, only 25% or lesser provide dedicated resources to
support the implementation. This shows that many of the surveyed organisations did not adopt a longterm approach in implementing FFW practices. In addition, majority (87.5%) of the respondents did
not conduct regular employee needs assessment on work-life balance needs. The failure to conduct
analysis means that organisations may not able to deliver FFW practices that address the needs of the
employees.
Apart from setting aside financial resources for implementation FFW practices, organisations
should also set-up dedicated taskforce / supervisors to assist employees in managing work-life
commitments. As can be seen from the graph 2, only 25% of the surveyed organisations indicated that
they have such resources.
It is often beneficial to have a “family-friendly champion” within the organisation who is
responsible for ensuring that a FFW philosophy is encouraged and ensures that managers are trained in
supporting staff and generally promoting the organisation‟s family friendly stance (Liz & Linddicoat
2005).
Though support from supervisors has been noted as a critical element in the creation of a
family friendly culture (Milliken et al 1990, Biberman 1999, Hyman & Summers 2004), support from
peers is also important, as they can be influential within an organisation, especially if the organisation
operates in a team-based structure.
From this, we can see that culture and infrastructure refers to more than just management
support and direction. To ensure FFW philosophies are upheld and initiatives are implemented, peer
11
support is crucial too. Apart from setting aside financial and manpower resources, training and
development is a must to ensure that the work-life activist is equipped with the necessary skills,
aptitudes and knowledge in overseeing the implementation of FFW practices.
4.2
Employee Support Schemes
Employee Support Schemes are implemented to help employees to manage non-work aspects
of their life. These programmes could involved the innovative use of existing organisational resources,
simple gestures of appreciation, dependent care support, time-savings facilities, etc.
The survey showed that all respondents provide activities that involved family members. These
activities include “Annual Dinner and Dance”, “Annual Family Day”, etc.
From graph 3, we can see that all the respondents provided some form of Employee Support
Schemes to the employees. These ranged from in-house child care facility to time-saving facilities. It is
noted that the most commonly offered ones are medical and insurance coverage for family members
(87.5%), health and wellness programmes (75%), gifts for new-born (75%), family relocation /
orientation programme (62.5%), marriage gifts (50%) and time savings facilities (50%).
On the other hand, the survey also revealed that the least commonly offered schemes are inhouse elder care facilities (0%), eldercare subsidies (0%), child-care subsidies (12.5%), counselling
services (25%), in-house child care facilities (25%), social activities for singles (25%) and financial
assistance scheme (37.5%).
From this, we can infer that organisations tend to offer schemes that will have a reciprocal
effect to the organisation either in terms of increasing profit or cost savings. For instance, many
organisations introduce health and wellness programme (as reflected by 75% of the surveyed
respondents) as it may result in reduction of significant healthcare-related costs. With healthcare
premiums continuing to increase, employers, through this scheme, can help to keep their employees
happy and healthy, at the same time, keeping insurance costs in check.
As such, this research advocates that organisations should have a paradigm shift in
provisioning of Employee Support Schemes. They should position these schemes as a tool to attract
and retain talents. According to U.S. Department of Labour (Debra 2006), the top reason why people
leave their jobs has nothing to do with pay or promotions. Rather, they leave because they do not feel
appreciated. In response to this, many employers are now developing retention campaigns and
partnering with vendors to offer programmes to invest in their employees‟ happiness and satisfaction,
along the way, helping them to achieve work-life balance.
4.3
Leave Benefits
The leave benefits mentioned in this research refer to those offered over and above the
statutory requirements (i.e. annual vacation leave, hospitalisation leave, childcare leave, sick leave and
maternity leave). Employers are offering different type of leave benefits in response to the different
needs of employees. These include compassionate leave, extended maternity leave, family care leave,
paternity leave, etc.
From Graph 4, we can see that almost all organisations provide at least one form of leave
benefits for its employees. Although not a statutory requirement, compassionate leave is provided by
all respondents and was extended to all employees in the surveyed organisations, making it the most
widely provided leave benefit. This is followed by maternity leave where 12.5% of the surveyed
organisations extend this leave benefit to less than 50% of its employees with the remaining 87.5% of
the respondents extend to more than 50% of its employee.
12
Marriage leave is another form of commonly provided leave. 62.5% of the surveyed
respondents indicated that marriage leaves are provided for 75% to 100% of its employees while 25%
of the respondents indicated that marriage leaves is provided only for 50% to 74% of its employees.
12.5% of the respondents do not provide any marriage leaves to their employees
Family care leaves refers to paid leave given to working parents for taking care of their
children, spouse or elderly parents. It excludes paid maternity or paternity leave. By and large, we can
see that almost all (87.5%) of the respondents provide family care leave to its employees.
Manifesting their support for skills upgrading, majority of the respondents (75%) provide paid
study leaves for their employees to study, prepare and sit for the examination. A worthy point to note
is that 50% of the respondents extend this to almost the whole organisation while 25% maintain that
this leave is applicable only to selected group of employees.
In addition to the above, some respondents even provide other forms of leave benefits such as
adoption leave and house-moving leave.
The provision of leave benefit is an integral part in any compensation and benefit packages.
Against the backdrop of changing economy driven by the changing needs of employees, organisations
are positioning leave benefits as a tool to attract and retain the right talent.
4.4
Flexible Work Arrangements
In an increasingly competitive and dynamic market, flexible work arrangements (FWA) may be
the key to any organisation‟s success. Having a flexible workforce will allow organisations to respond
more effectively to economic changes. This will essentially means greater cost control and hence,
more competitive.
Flexible work arrangements that are exercised include flexi time, part time work, job sharing,
the compressed working week and tele-working, have been widely practiced in developed countries
for several decades (Wilson 2002). These flexible work design arrangements have been proven to be
beneficial to both employers and employees (Evans 2000). Graph 5 summarises the responses on
provisioning of FWA by the surveyed respondents.
4.4.1 Flexi-time Work
In practice, flexi time usually refers to a scheduling program for full time employees, which
allows them to choose their daily starting and finishing times, provided that they complete a stipulated
number of work hours. In most instances, all employees may be required to be present during certain
core hours, which are usually fixed at a period between the latest permissible starting time and the
earliest possible finishing time. An organisation may benefit from this arrangement because it may be
able to extend operating hours without an increase in costs, and employees may be better able to meet
their personal responsibilities (Callister 1996) (e.g., those with young children who need to be taken to
and from school).
From the survey, it is noted that only 50% of the respondents provide flexi-time arrangements
for its employees. Out of this 50%, only 37.5% of the respondents extend this facility to 75% or more
of its employees. The remaining 12.5% of the respondents only extend this flexibility to less than 50%
of the employees.
4.4.2 Part-time Work
In Singapore context, a part-time worker is one that worked less than 30 hours per week.
Generally, part-time arrangements can be organised in one of the following ways:(a) Working normal hours but with lesser days (e.g. 3 days per week);
13
(b) Working everyday but at reduced hours (e.g. 8.30am to 12.00pm);
(c) Alternate work period; or
(d) Combination of the above methods.
In fact, offering part-time work enables organisations to attract and recruit from a wider
manpower pool. The 1999 Labour Force Survey showed that there were 27,173 persons looking for
part-time employment opportunities. In addition, it enables organisations to retain highly skilled and
valued employees who could not perform full-time job due to personal commitments. It also reduces
absenteeism as this allows workers to better-manage their time. It also provides flexibility to
organisations when the job requirements do not justify for a full-time employee (e.g. project work).
In view of the above, the survey showed that 75% of the respondents offered part-time
employment. Only a minority (25%) of the respondents did not offer any form of part-time working
arrangements.
4.4.3 Job-Sharing
Job-sharing is devised as a way to create more part-time employment opportunities for
positions that could not be reduced in hours or split into two part-time jobs. By having job-sharing, it
will enable employers to preserve jobs in their full-time form while tapping on the expertise of two or
more part-time staff. The notion of job-sharing is an arrangement where duties / job responsibilities of
one job is shared between 2 or more person.
The greatest challenge in implementing this arrangement is in looking for a suitable partner and
will result the organisation in incurring higher overheads. Furthermore, job sharing will result the
organisation in incurring extra costs in administration, management time, overhead and recruitment. A
point to note is that not all jobs can be shared. Only jobs that are output or task-based are suitable for
sharing. By contrast, jobs like line management and supervisory work, or jobs entailing long term
customer or client contact are not suitable for sharing. On this note, this study noted that job-sharing
is the least popular among the respondents. Only 12.5% of the respondents indicated that job-sharing
is being practiced in its organisation.
4.4.4 Compressed Workweek
Compressed workweek is a flexible option where an employee works his/her full time hours in
less than 5 days per week. This means employers can reallocate the same number of working hours to
fewer days which ensure that the organisations‟ facilities to run 24 hours. Typical arrangements are:(a) Four of 10-hour days;
(b) Three of 12-hour days;or
(c) Four days of 9-hour day and one day of 8-hour (typically on Friday) with alternate Friday
off.
This arrangement is industry-specific and is more popular with factories, computer centres, call
centres and hospitals where its facilities require 24-hour operations with limited shutdowns. Therefore,
only 25% of the respondents indicated that compressed workweek is being practiced in its
organisation.
4.4.5 Telecommuting
The notion of telecommuting is mooted in the 1980s which focus on cutting costs through the
use of technology. This arrangement allows employees to carry out their work at a location away from
their conventional office space, either in the employees‟ residence, satellite offices or neighbourhood
work centres.
14
With telecommuting, it allows organisation to recruit and retain valued employees. It can also
save money on work space and boost morale and loyalty. For employees, they will the flexibility and
convenience that telecommuting offer, which is to allow employees to re-allocate their working hours,
suitable for its individual‟s needs and demands of the job (Kenneth 2004). One can also avoid the
expenses and stress of working on-site, especially in large countries like United Kingdom and London
Having said that, telecommuting is most suitable for employees whose work nature does not
require close supervision and interaction with other colleagues. It is often suitable for project / sales
work where performance can be easily assessed.
As the work nature of the respondents requires close supervision and interaction, it is noted
that almost all the respondents (87.5%) do not provide telecommuting facilities to its employees. Only
12.5% of the respondents indicate that telecommuting is offered to its employees.
4.5
Government Support Schemes
To facilitate the private sectors in implementing FFW practices, the government has set up the
Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy in September 2000 to drive the promotion of Work-Life
Harmony in Singapore. According to Ministry of Manpower, the terms of reference for the Tripartite
Committee on Work-Life Strategy are:




To drive and facilitate implementation of work-life strategies in all industry sectors in
Singapore through tripartite collaboration.
Organise national-level programmes and activities to increase the practice of Work-Life
harmony in establishments;
Promote the widespread adoption of the Tripartite Guidelines on Best Work-Life Practices
and Tripartite Guidelines on Family Friendly Workplace Practices, and monitor progress of
implementation and effectiveness of the guidelines;
Review the progress of national Work-Life strategy and implementation in Singapore and
monitor developments overseas to aid in its deliberations.
In addition, the Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund was introduced by Ministry of Manpower to
facilitate the development and implementation of Work-Life strategies at the workplace, especially
flexible work arrangements. Organisations can apply for grants to help defray the costs of introducing
Work-Life measures. The measures must help employees better achieve Work-Life Harmony. The
government will co-fund the costs incurred for approved projects, up to a maximum of $30,000 per
project per organisation
The survey showed that most of the respondents (87.5%) are aware of the government‟s
efforts in promoting FFW practices and the presence of the funding scheme. However, the
respondents suggested that publicity efforts on government‟s support and funding scheme should step
up via newsletters to be sent through accredited HR Councils in Singapore.
4.6
Barriers and Key Success Factors
To address research question 8, most common barriers to implementation of FFW strategies as
reported by the respondents are:(a) Gaining top-management support
(b) Cost-containment
(c) Lack of resources
15
(d) Catering to different employees‟ needs
In response to the above barriers, the respondents pointed out that the following key success
factors must be present in implementing FFW initiatives.
4.6.1 Supportive culture and buy-in from management
Supportive culture and commitment from the management is the most important in ensuring
the success of FFW initiatives. Without this element, implementation of FFW initiatives will be inname only. Employees, being afraid that they will be unduly penalised will be reluctant to take up
work-life policies or even to make any suggestions on work-life balance. Furthermore, without senior
management endorsement, HR practitioners will be deterred to continue implementing FFW practices,
leading to a loss of faith and confidence in both programme and management.
4.6.2 Support from Line Managers
Unlike other management-driven initiatives, FFW initiatives require strong employee
involvement and encompass both worklife needs and strategic business objectives. The success
depends on managers‟ willingness to listen to, and act on, employees‟ feedback. However, many of the
managers may feel threatened by such a participative change process, perceiving it as a loss of control
rather than an opportunity to improve work effectiveness. Given managers‟ crucial role in creating a
supportive environment and the natural resistance they may feel toward changing old practices,
employers will need to find ways to encourage desired behaviours.
4.6.3 Dedication of Resources
To implement FFW initiatives successfully, the respondents noted that organisations should
dedicate resources to implement them. According to the respondents, these resources should come in
two forms, namely financial resource and manpower resource.
On financial resource, organisation should provide funding for implementing FFW practices
and sending staff to receive training, keeping them abreast with the latest processes, methods and
materials on FFW policies and frameworks.
For manpower resource, it should be in the form of appointing dedicated trainer / facilitator to
oversee all implementation. In addition, the appointed staff should be given opportunities to upgrade
their skills by participating regularly in training workshops, or discussions on related topics. There
must be adequate funding in the budget for this purpose.
4.6.4 Good Communication Strategy
The corporate Work-Life philosophy must be cascaded down to all levels so that it becomes
one of the core values of the organisations. The philosophy should be understood by all levels of
employees. On this note, a good communication strategy should take into considerations the media
adopted, target audiences, development of clear guidelines, evaluation on effectiveness of
communication, etc. (Melcrum 2003)
4.6.5 Strong IT Infrastructure
Respondents pointed out in the survey that strong IT infrastructure is one of the key success
factors in successful implementation of FFW initiatives. Through IT, organisations will be able to
realise implementation of FWAs such as telecommuting. It will also facilitate greater communications
between management and employees, thereby allowing greater autonomy in employees in adopting
FFW practices.
16
5
Benefits and Concerns Identified by Organisations
One specific objective of this research is to focus on the benefits that organisations will enjoy
through implementation of FFW practices. This section will also touch on the concerns that the
organisations have raised as well.
5.1
Benefits
Surveyed organisations, during informal interviews that are conducted at random, have
identified the following benefits through the implementation of FFW practices.
5.1.1 Larger Recruitment Pool
Respondents acknowledged that provision of FFW practices will be able attract applicants
from a wider pool. For example, offering employment on a job-share basis or with flexi-time makes
the position more attractive to individuals who may not be able to work on a full-time (i.e. 9am to
5pm) basis. The 1999 Labour Force Survey (Ministry of Manpower 1999) showed that there were
27,173 persons looking for part-time employment opportunities. Currently, it is also estimated that
57% (159,985) of Singapore‟s population aged 55 to 64 are economically in active (Ministry of
Manpower 1999).
In a survey on women conducted by National Trade Unions Congress (NTUC), many cited
that lack of part-time jobs was one of the reasons that holding them back from joining the workforce
(Ministry of Manpower 1995).
Employers will need to recognise that people will be increasingly looking for a supportive and
flexible employer, sensitive towards their needs to balance career and other commitments. With an
aging workforce and higher women participation, innovative employers will offer flexible employment
arrangements to tap into this untouched source of labour pool.
5.1.2 Better Retention Strategy
Surveyed organisations agreed that human capital is the key element that differentiates one
organisation from its competitors. Implementation of FFW practices will make the organisations seen
to be concerned on employees‟ lives outside work and is serious in assisting them to manage their
work and personal commitments and aspirations. This will result in more satisfied employees, thereby
resulting in higher productivity and lower turnover rates for the organisation.
At Ernst and Young, in parts of the firm where work life balance changed the work
environment, it has been observed that turnover has dropped dramatically. The company estimates that
these efforts saved $17 million in 1997 and 1998 (Worklife 2000).
5.1.3 Lesser Stress, Absenteeism and Better Health
Changing demographics and a more hectic pace of work has led to challenges in balancing
work and family. Therefore, today‟s employees generally faced more stressed that reduce performance
levels. This will inevitable leads to higher absenteeism rates and poor health conditions among the
employees. Implementation of FFW practices will address this trend. Through FFW practices,
employees will be able to manage their personal commitments and work responsibilities better, thereby
improving their performance, reduce absenteeism, lateness and in better health. This will
correspondingly reduce health-care related cost and be more productive at work.
17
5.1.4 Employees’ Morale
Undoubtedly, implementation of FFW practices will have a positive impact on employees‟
morale. These practices will facilitate employees to better manage their personal commitments and
work responsibilities. It will allow the employees to concentrate better at work and face lesser stress.
Hence, we can infer that FFW practices will improve employees‟ morale by improving working
environment, increasing employee‟s motivation and job satisfaction.
5.1.5 Benefits to Employees
As a result of adopting FFW practices, employees will be able to integrate work and personal
life more satisfactorily. The provisions of work-flexibility, reduced work-loads and lesser stress-levels
mean employees will have more time for family, community and recreational activities. This will yield
a motivated work force that will be able to contribute more in their day-to-day work.
Employees can enjoy greater autonomy and control in balancing these responsibilities. Children
will also benefit as it means that their parents will be able to attend school meetings, attend sports days
and be with them during emergencies. Finally, other family members including partners elderly parents
or relatives may also benefit, as greater flexibility can mean a better balance of work and family
responsibilities (Pringle & Tudhope 1997, Saltztein et al. 2001, Mackay, Jones & McKenna 2002).
5.1.6 Better Customer Satisfaction and Higher Profits
The service-profit chain concept demonstrates the links between employees, customers and
profitability (Heskett et al 1994). An important aspect in this concept is the role of employees.
Employee attitudes and behavior are affected by the quality of their work environment. Their positive
interactions with customers lead to increased satisfaction, advocacy, retention and ultimately,
profitability. Conversely, a negative work environment places a drag on these reinforcing processes,
thereby resulting in drop of productivity and eventually profits. In other words, employers need to
understand what drives engagement among their employees in order to ensure business success.
Given that surveyed organisations agreed that implementing FFW practices will improves
working environment which have a positive impact on employees‟ satisfaction, morale and
productivity and based on the concepts of service-profit chain model where satisfied employees will
contribute to higher profits, we can infer that FFW practices have a positive impact on an
organisation‟s financial performance.
5.2
Concerns Identified by Respondents
Given the highly competitive climate which the majority of the respondents operate in, it is
essential to identify not only the business benefits of FFW practices but also perceived disadvantages.
The general consensus is that the benefits of FFW practices far outweighed the disadvantages.
However, some respondents expressed the following concerns with regard to implementation of FFW
practices:5.2.1 Additional Demands on Supervisory Staff
Another expressed concern is that FFW practices placed additional demands on supervisors.
This comes in the forms of rosters arrangement and redistribution of workload. Additional
18
administration work such as the tracking of working hours, etc. means supervisors need to set aside
time from their core job. However, this is only evident in smaller organisation where there is no fulltime human resource officer.
5.2.2 Concern Over Customer Care
Some of the respondents feedbacked the concern that customer care may be compromised as a
result of implementing FFW practices. This is seen as being extremely important for areas such as
corporate sales and customer service where officers are assigned to take care of particular client or a
group of clients. Their concern was that staff that were availing to FFW arrangement might not be
available when required to deal with a particular client.
5.2.3 Other Concerns
In addition to the above concerns, studies have also revealed that extension of normal working
hours (e.g. introduction of compressed work week) or the introduction of split shifts can be very
unfriendly in their consequences, such as extra transportation costs and time incurred in multiple trips
to and from work (Carnoy 1999) or in working extended or anti-social hours when other support
people are not normally working (Probect 1995).
Another concern as highlighted is the perceived inconsistencies in offering FFW initiatives.
Studies have shown that if an employee‟s employment status is considered as “part-time” or “casual”,
they may not be eligible for FFW arrangements (Drewe, Emerek & Mahon 1998). For some
organisations, eligibility for core benefits such as training and development opportunities may be
affected as well (Thomas et al 1999, Burke 2000). Although this apparent inequities is not a conscious
decision by the management, the perceived favouritism may seriously undermine the philosophy, spirit
and ideals of the FFW campaigns that organisations are pushing for. These are matters that require
discussion and careful consideration by the affected parties (Bibberman, Whitty & Robbins 1999)
19
6
Recommendations – A Strategic Approach
It has been argued in many studies that effective management of diverse human resources is the
key differentiator for successful organisations (Lepak et al 2000). Our survey shows that many of the
respondents do not adopt a strategic approach in introducing FFW practices. Rather, many of the
implementations are ad-hoc and reactive. This may result in implementing practices do not address the
needs of the employees and the returns will not be as desirable as it is expected.
Therefore, this research recommends organisations to adopt a strategic and systematic approach
to deal with a variety of employees‟ needs and demands which will have positive outcomes for the
organisations (Dowling 1997). The proposed approach, which consist of seven phase, is a hybrid of
best practices that successful organisations have practiced (Ministry of Manpower 2001, Susan Seitel
2005).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
6.1
Establish the need to implement / modify FFW practices;
Dedicate Resources for implementation
Consultation with stakeholders
Design FFW practices
Communicate FFW practices
Implement FFW practices
Evaluate FFW practices
Phase 1 - Establish the need to implement / modify FFW practices
Implementing FFW practices is a business strategy. To make it work, top management support
should recognise the need for implementation and organisational processes in implementing FFW
practices should be align to it. The first step is to have clear objectives for implementation. In addition,
organisations should be clear on the respective business needs before implementation of any FFW
practices. This will ensure that all organisational process relating to FFW practices are align to
business needs. Once the need for implementing FFW practices have been finalised, organisations can
move on to set targets and timeframe to implement these practices.
There are many tools available to determine one‟s organisation state of readiness. This
research recommends the adoption of Work-life Continuum (Nora 2006) as one of such tool. Worklife Continuum [Annex B] is a tool used by Canadian organisations where organisations will
benchmark their existing organisation‟s culture against a continuum status, from inactive to
interactive. This continuum will allow organisation to identify and decide their desired organisation‟s
state along the continuum and work-out strategic work plan to achieve that desired state.
To complement the use of Work-life Continuum, organisations should make use of an
employer‟s checklist [Annex C]. The checklist can be used to provide an idea on how far
organisations have progressed in developing, implementing and communicating FFW practice to the
employees.
6.2
Phase 2 - Dedicate Resources for Implementation
It is important for organisations to dedicate resources for implementation of FFW practices.
Apart from financial resources, organisations should setup dedicated teams to oversee implementation
of such initiatives. To ensure that the team is competent in implementing these initiatives, proper
trainings should be provided. The team should comprise of members from different departments with
complimentary skill-sets. This will ensure alignment of different processes to implementation of FFW
initiatives and a more holistic view can be sought when planning, designing and implementation of
these practices.
20
In this leadership role, they are responsible for specifying program objectives, analyzing
individual and group needs, developing appropriate educational and training experiences and
monitoring individual achievement. To implement the program, professional staff should be skilled in
delivering educational experience related to FFW policies. The size of the support staff should be
sufficient to perform the tasks required by the program.
6.3
Phase 3 - Consultation with Stakeholders
Organisations can be viewed as a network of constituencies or stakeholders with views and
demands regarding organisational effectiveness (Tsui & Milkovich 1987). Organisations that do not
meet stakeholders‟ needs may be unlikely to develop or sustain a competitive advantage (Berman,
Wicks, Kotha & Jones 1999). Although relationships with various stakeholders may vary, ignoring a
stakeholder may affect future performance (Yeung & Berman 1997). On this note, to satisfy the
diverse FFW needs of stakeholders, there is a need to regularly consult with the stakeholders and
assess the needs on a regular basis. Through these consultations, organisations will be able to find out
the effectiveness of existing FFW practices. Methodologies of consultation may include:(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
6.4
Surveys;
Focus groups;
Interviews;
Informal discussions; and
Formal committees.
Phase 4 - Design FFW Practices
After consultation with the stakeholders, the next step is developing FFW practices. During
this stage, organisations should decide on the most appropriate FFW practices to offer to employees,
develop written policies and to develop tools to support the chosen practices. In addition, methods on
managing change (e.g. communication kits, training programmes for managers, road-shows, etc.)
should also be developed during this stage.
When design and implementing FFW practices, one must consider the following points
(Ministry of Manpower 1999):Purpose
 What is the objective of introducing this practice ?
Work Process
 How much customer-facing time does the job require ?
 How much time must the employee spend at the office ?
 Which meetings are necessary ?
Resources Availability
 What is the available budget for implementing FFW practices ?
 Is there manpower to oversee the implementation ?
Change Management
 Are the employees comfortable with the new arrangement ?
 Do we need to communicate more to them ? If so, how ?
21
6.5
Phase 5 - Communicate FFW Practices
Communication with employees is an integral process of ensuring a positive working
environment. Creating an open system where employees are kept informed of an organisation‟s
development can effectively increase employees‟ satisfaction and engagement (Johnson 2000). Studies
have shown that employees perform better when they envision themselves working for a cause and
with good knowledge on the expectations from the supervisors (Heskett 1990).
On this note, it is important that organisations communicate the objectives of implementing
FFW practices to the employees. Apart from building awareness, communication will:(a) Sustain a work-life culture within the organisation;
(b) Transmit work-life corporate values; and
(c) Improve and reinforcing Work-Life strategy.
When developing a communication package, one should bear the followings in mind:(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
6.6
Clear objective of communication
Identify target audience
Customise strategy for buy-in (e.g. anticipate reactions, preparations of questions, etc.)
Select appropriate channels of communication
Incorporate a feedback channel
Measure effectiveness of communication plan.
Phase 6 – Launch and Implement FFW practices
When launching any FFW initiatives, it is of paramount importance that all employees are
informed on the available benefits and fully explain which options have been implemented including
the intended outcomes. To demonstrate senior management support and endorsement of these
practices, it may be good to engage them to reiterate and re-emphasize these benefits at available
platforms or gatherings.
For some FFW practices that may require a period of monitoring or refinement, organisation
can adopt the “soft-launch” approach where it is launch to a small group of employees or pilot it for a
period of time. Progressively, these pilot schemes will be extended to a larger group of employees
after incorporating feedbacks from pilot users.
22
6.7
Phase 7 - Evaluate FFW practices
Measuring the effectiveness of FFW practices is important to determine if the implemented
practices have achieved the objectives. It is necessary to maintain the advantages of a good FFW
policy by keeping it relevant and up to date. By measuring employee satisfaction, performance, and
assessing factors such as retention rate, the effectiveness of the policies can be evaluated. The policies
should have a positive impact on the company's bottom line, on staff and customer satisfaction and
retention, and on the climate within the organisation. Constant monitoring, feedback, and adjustment
will ensure the policies and their implementations are working well. There are many ways to evaluate
effectiveness of FFW practices. Generally, it comes in two forms (i.e. quantitative measures and
qualitative measures).
Quantitative Measures
Absenteeism rates
Employee satisfaction index
Utilisation rate of FFW practices
Resignation rates
Customer satisfaction survey
Qualitative Measures
Feedback from stakeholders
Exit interviews
Annual needs assessment exercise
23
7
Conclusions
FFW policies and practices are considered as a way to support and recognise the changing needs
of employees, not just solely for those with children or dependants to care for, but at different points
of their lives and careers. The socio-demographic changes which includes rising of dual-income
families, aging workforce, changing roles of men, changing workforce expectations, increased in
female workforce participations, etc. that takes place in many countries place pressures on firms to be
proactive in addressing work-life balance issues, including the provision of FFW practices.
This research has provided insights on what are some of the immediate concerns of many
employers in providing these practices. It also suggested evidence on the extent and how these
practices are being implemented. Essentially, this research noted that many organisations do not
embody FFW policies as one of its strategic planning agendas. This resulted in reactive implementation
of FFW practices which can be ineffective and counter-productive. To remedy this, the research
proposes organisations to adopt a more systematic and strategic approach, which include needs
assessment, resource dedication, communication, etc. in implementing FFW practices.
For organisations to sustain its competitiveness, to a great extent, rely on a committed and
productive workforce (Pfeffer 1994). FFW practices concerning employment flexibility, leave benefits,
etc have the potential to reduce or increase the stress on employees with life responsibilities. The
provision of FFW practices can provide a positive and direct impact on an employee‟s decision to
remain with an employer (Marcam, Joshi and Dex, 1996).
This study agrees that formation of appropriate FFW practices and HR strategies will create a
workplace conducive to the attraction, motivation and retention of highly valued employees. Having
said that, this research argues that such practices, if implemented, in a systematic and strategic manner,
will have a long-term benefit, enabling employers and employees to meet the emerging challenges
related to the need for balance between work and life.
24
Annex A
25
26
27
28
29
30
Annex B
31
Annex C
Attitudes and Culture
___
Managers encourage employees to stay home with children or elderly parents in the event of a medical emergency or when
their usual care arrangements are unavailable.
___
Managers are conscious of the need to help employees manage their workloads in a way which enables them to participate
fully in their personal lives.
___
Managers are flexible around hours of work in order to assist employees in balancing their work and home activities.
___
Managers in our organization are supportive of work-life balance - demonstrated either by « walking-the-talk » or by
encouraging employees to take advantage of work-life balance policies.
___
One of the criteria for promotion or hiring into management positions is a solid understanding of the importance of, and
commitment to, work-life balance initiatives both for the prospective manager and for his/her employees.
___
Our organization has developed metrics and measurements to hold individuals and managers accountable for creating
supportive work environments.
Programs
___
Our organization has conducted surveys and/or focus groups with employees to learn about their work-life balance needs
and desires.
___
Our organization has a formal work-life balance policy or program in place.
___
Our organization offers or plans to offer one or more of the following programs:

dependent care initiatives (such as emergency child or elder care, referral and/or information services,
financial assistance, or workplace child-care)

stress management (such as an EAP program or wellness/health promotion activities)

flexible work arrangements (such as compressed workweek, flextime, or telework)

reduction in working time (such as job sharing, gradual retirement, or voluntary part-time)

vacation and other social benefits (such as flexible benefits, leave for personal reasons, maternity,
paternity and/or parental leave, sick leave, or vacation flexibility)
___
Our organization has a process in place to monitor progress and usage of work-life balance programs.
___
Work-life programs are linked to recruitment and retention strategies, business development goals and organizational
development initiatives.
___
Our organization participates in external work-life councils, committees or consortiums to benchmark progress and learn
form other's experience.
32
Communication
___
Employees are aware of their options when it comes to work-life programs or initiatives in our organization.
___
Employees are provided with regular opportunities to express views about work, life and family balance.
___
Managers have received appropriate training and possess the proper tools and skills that are necessary to implement
organizational work-life balance policies.
___
Our organization regularly reminds managers that work-life balance is important.
___
Our organization publicizes work-life balance programs at all levels of the organization across all work locations.
33
Graph 1- PERCENTAGE OF ORGANISATIONS
INCORPORATE FAMILY FRIENDLY WORKLIFE RACTICES
AS ITS CORE VALUES
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes
No
Graph 2 - Provision of Dedicated Resources to Support
Implementation of FFW Practices
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Creates Dedicated
Task Force
Offers Training to
Supervisor on FFW
Practices
Develops Strategic
Plans
Conducts Needs
Analysis
Yes
25.00%
25.00%
25.00%
12.50%
No
75.00%
75.00%
75.00%
87.50%
Graph 3 - Extent on Provisioning of Employee Support Services
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
In-house
Child-care
Facilities
Childcare
Subsidies
In-house
Elder-care
Facilities
Eldercare
Subsidies
Counselling
Services
Family
Appointment
Financial
Relocation / of Family-life Assistance
Orientation
Educator
Schemes
No
75.00%
87.50%
100.00%
100.00%
87.50%
37.50%
87.50%
Yes
25.00%
12.50%
0.00%
0.00%
12.50%
62.50%
12.50%
Marriage
Gifts
Gifts for
New -born
Health and
Wellness
Programme
Medical and
Social
Insurance Activities for
Coverage
Singles
Timesavings
Facilities
50.00%
50.00%
25.00%
25.00%
12.50%
75.00%
50.00%
37.50%
50.00%
75.00%
75.00%
87.50%
25.00%
50.00%
Graph 4 - Extent of Provision on Leave Benefits
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Compassionate
Leave
Emergency
Leave
Unrecorded
Leave
Family-Care
Leave
Marriage
Leaves
Maternity
Leaves
Paternity
Leaves
Study Leaves
75%-100%
100.00%
37.50%
37.50%
62.50%
62.50%
62.50%
37.50%
50.00%
50%-74%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
25.00%
25.00%
25.00%
12.50%
0.00%
1%-49%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
12.50%
12.50%
25.00%
0%
0.00%
62.50%
62.50%
12.50%
12.50%
0.00%
37.50%
25.00%
Graph 5 - Extent of Provision on FWAs
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
75%-100%
50%-74%
50%
1%-49%
40%
0%
30%
20%
10%
0%
75%-100%
Compressed Work
Schedule
Flexi-time
Job-Sharing
Part-time
Telecommuting
12.50%
37.50%
12.50%
25.00%
12.50%
50%-74%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
1%-49%
12.50%
12.50%
0.00%
50.00%
12.50%
0%
75.00%
50.00%
87.50%
25.00%
75.00%
36
Table 1 - ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE PERSONS AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER
ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE PERSONS AGED 15 YEARS AND OVER BY
AGE, ACTIVITY STATUS AND SEX, JUNE 2005
Total (‘000)
Employed (‘000)
Unemployed (’000)
Age (Years)
Person
TOTAL
Male
Female
Person
Male
Female
Person
Male
Female
2,367.3
1,376.5
990.7
2,266.7
1,325.3
941.5
100.5
51.3
49.2
15
–
19
39.1
20.1
19.0
35.8
19.5
16.3
3.2
0.6
2.6
20
–
24
260.7
125.0
135.7
248.3
119.6
128.6
12.4
5.4
7.1
25
–
29
382.4
202.7
179.7
369.2
195.9
173.3
13.2
6.8
6.4
30
–
34
385.8
222.3
163.5
374.3
217.2
157.1
11.5
5.1
6.4
35
–
39
330.8
198.2
132.6
319.0
192.7
126.3
11.8
5.5
6.3
40
–
44
305.4
187.3
118.1
292.8
181.2
111.6
12.6
6.1
6.5
45
–
49
262.3
158.3
104.1
249.4
151.5
97.9
12.9
6.8
6.2
50
–
54
198.9
124.3
74.5
188.0
117.8
70.2
10.9
6.6
4.3
55
–
59
122.9
81.1
41.8
115.5
76.0
39.5
7.4
5.1
2.3
60
–
65
and
Over
64
45.7
32.5
13.2
42.8
30.4
12.4
2.8
2.1
0.8
33.3
24.8
8.6
31.6
23.4
8.2
1.7
1.4
0.4
37
Table 2 - AGE SPECIFIC LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES
AGE SPECIFIC LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES
2000 AND 2005
(As At June)
2000
2005
%
%
Age (Years)
Persons 15 Years and Over (total)
68.6
67.4
15
–
19
19.1
14.3
20
–
24
77.4
72.4
25
–
29
91.1
90.3
30
–
34
87.1
88.7
35
–
39
82.0
84.3
40
–
44
79.8
82.1
45
–
49
77.3
79.5
50
–
54
69.1
72.4
55
–
59
51.7
56.9
60
–
64
31.7
35.0
65
and
Over
10.4
11.0
38
Table 3 - AGE–SEX SPECIFIC LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES, 2000 AND 2005
AGE–SEX SPECIFIC LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATES, 2000 AND 2005
(As At June)
2000
Age (Years)
Total
(%)
Male
(%)
2005
Female
(%)
Total
(%)
Mal
e
(%)
Female
(%)
Persons 15 Years and Over
68.6
81.1
55.5
67.4
78.2
56.6
15
–
19
19.1
18.0
20.1
14.3
14.3
14.4
20
–
24
77.4
75.9
78.7
72.4
71.1
73.6
25
–
29
91.1
96.5
84.9
90.3
93.8
86.6
30
–
34
87.1
98.3
73.6
88.7
97.9
78.6
35
–
39
82.0
98.2
63.0
84.3
97.7
69.9
40
–
44
79.8
97.5
60.7
82.1
96.8
66.1
45
–
49
77.3
96.3
57.4
79.5
95.2
63.6
50
–
54
69.1
91.2
46.7
72.4
90.8
54.0
55
–
59
51.7
74.4
29.6
56.9
76.4
38.0
60
–
64
31.7
49.6
15.3
35.0
51.3
19.6
65
and
Over
10.4
18.5
4.1
11.0
18.9
5.0
8
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