Housewives keen to work but on flexi-hours

Firms may bite as foreign worker curbs kick in

By Miranda Yeo, The Straits Times, 12 Jun 2012

SINGAPORE housewives, who can help fill the labour shortage in the face of the upcoming foreign worker restrictions, are eager to return to work, but only if it is a job with flexi-hours.

A full-time, nine-to-five job is out of the question, most said, because family comes first for them.

They added that they would want to work only part of the week or for half the day, and the pay has to be worth their while.

Like many, Ms Catherine Tong, a mother of four, is eyeing a job in administration, such as being a clerk, telephonist or receptionist.

Said the 46-year-old, whose youngest is five years old: 'There is no point working if almost all my salary will go towards paying a maid to care for my children.'

Ms Tong was among 20 non-working mothers interviewed yesterday, 16 of whom say they want to return to work.

Most are in their 40s and 50s, have O-level qualifications and had quit the workforce more than 10 years ago.

These women belong to an under-utilised sector of the workforce that can help ease the crunch when the foreign worker dependency ratio ceiling (DRC) is lowered next month.

It will limit the number of foreigners a company can hire from 65 per cent to 60 per cent in manufacturing, and from 50 per cent to 45 per cent in the service sector. Foreign worker levies will also be raised; employers may be paying $150 to $330 more per worker by next year.

With the tightening of the tap, most employers interviewed foresee being forced to relook their employment terms, even acceding to the requests of housewives like Madam Annie Hng, mother of two girls aged 11 and 17.

Said the 45-year-old, who completed a course in office administration recently: 'I do want to work but not at a full-time job because I am especially worried about leaving my younger daughter alone.'

Most of the housewives want to work to help contribute to the family coffers. It will also be mentally stimulating, they added.

Said Ms H.H. Yee, 49, who started work as an administrative assistant last year: 'I want to help my family financially. Still, I need to be in control of my time for my children.' That means no overtime work for her.

Added Madam Grace Tan, 50: 'When you are a housewife, you don't have personal income as you depend on your husband.'

She plans to work next year after her younger child completes her O levels.

President of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises Chan Chong Beng predicts that it is a matter of time before SMEs change their 'systems and processes to accommodate' the employment needs of housewives.

Chief executive Lawrence Leow said his Crescendas Group is already wooing this 'untapped'' sector, especially for its food and beverage outlets and its two Aqueen hotels.

'We understand their concerns, so we are working out a way to match them with jobs that fit their requirements,' he said.

But employers like Ram I, which provides office supplies, say flexi-hours are not possible. Said its general manager Mike Foo: 'My workers have to work regular hours to attend to our customers. I also need people who can work longer hours - it's more cost effective.'

Shorter shifts to woo part-timers

By Janice Heng, The Straits Times, 15 Jun 2012

AS THE labour crunch continues, some retail and food and beverage chains are shortening their shifts to as little as two hours, hoping to coax more casual workers into the job market.

One example is home improvement chain Home-Fix, which plans to offer shifts of two to three hours. Short shifts get around the problem of long retail hours, which may put off Singaporeans, said its managing director Low Cheong Kee. Home-Fix's stores open from 10am to 10pm.

'It suits housewives and retirees who might have other commitments, like going home to cook or looking after their grandchildren,' he said.

Singapore's employers are getting creative as the rules on hiring cheap foreign labour tighten further.

From next month, foreigners can form no more than 45 per cent of a service company's workforce, down from 50 per cent.

'With the clampdown on foreign worker numbers, hiring part-timers to augment the full-time workforce has become very important for retailers like us,' said Mr Low.

Sushi chain Sakae Sushi is another company that offers shifts as short as two hours. It also tailors each week's roster to suit employees' schedules.

Kitchen assistant See Kwee Fong appreciates her three- to four-hour shifts. 'I have time to do housework and cook dinner for my daughters,' said the 46-year-old mother of two.

Sakae Sushi chief executive Douglas Foo added: 'Of course, this means we have to work a lot on our scheduling.'

Employment and Employability Institute chairman Ong Ye Kung said that offering short shifts may not be an easy solution as this might work only if employees are living nearby.

'Otherwise, transport expenses alone may not make it worthwhile for workers to travel and work for just two to three hours,' he said.

For Sakae Sushi, workers living nearby are precisely their target. It draws a 1km radius around each outlet, and focuses on attracting housewives and retirees in the area. It has hired more than 20 workers through this approach.

The tight labour market means housewives and retirees are becoming an increasingly attractive source of labour, said Singapore Retailers Association vice-president R. Dhinakaran, who is managing director of retail group Jay Gee Melwani.

His company has also introduced shorter shifts and more flexible scheduling.

Associate Professor Angelique Chan, director of the National University of Singapore-Tsao Ageing Research Initiative, said that as Singapore's population ages, more of the elderly 'are going to need and want to work, but not full-time'.

She said short shifts are a good option, especially as retail and F&B jobs require staff to stay on their feet - something the elderly might not be able to do for long hours.

In the past decade, more women and older workers have entered the labour market.

Last year, labour participation for women was 57 per cent, up from 51.6 per cent in 2001.

Almost two-thirds of residents aged 55 to 64 joined the workforce in 2011. A decade ago, it was less than half.

Yet, as more companies join the hunt for part-timers, some which started early feel they can go no further.

For more than five years, kaya toast chain Ya Kun International has worked around employees' schedules and placed staff in branches close to home.

But the labour crunch makes it harder and harder to stay flexible, said executive chairman Adrin Loi.

'If you have a big enough pool of people working for you, then you can be flexible about when they work and so on. But if you don't have enough people, then you can't.'