Flexibility in Workplaces of the Future

Accommodate employees' work-life needs or risk losing them: Amy Khor

By Sara Grosse, Channel NewsAsia, 4 Nov 2013

Workplaces which do not make the effort to accommodate the work-life needs of their employees could risk losing them.

Speaking at a conference on work-life flexibility, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Amy Khor called on employers to pay greater attention to progressive workplace practices in their efforts to retain talent.

As the competition for talent in the workforce grows, attracting employees will go beyond monetary incentives.

A recent survey conducted among undergraduates found that work-life harmony was the top priority for this group.

The survey of 6,000 undergraduates by Universum found that having good work-life harmony was the top motivating factor, followed by job security and dedication to a cause.

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."

At the conference, employers were encouraged to adopt flexibility as a business strategy, so as to remain competitive.

The biennial Work-Life Conference was attended by more than 450 CEOs, union leaders, HR leaders and employers across Asia.

Dr Khor also addressed employers' concerns that work-life harmony could hurt workers' productivity.

She said on the contrary, there are many studies which showed that people with flexible work arrangements are actually more productive, as they have learned how to manage their time.

Workers who Channel NewsAsia spoke with said that having that flexibility has motivated them to put in the extra hours.

Lin Wanxuan, a manager at Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore who has been on flexi-work arrangements for two years, said: "The concerns within life have been addressed, so I can concentrate on my work well. So in the event that there needs to be extra hours put in, I can usually continue it after I put my kids to bed. And then I'll try to work the outstanding matters for that day."

Kevin Goh, audit manager at KPMG, said: "It's not just about a policy. It's about the mentality of the people around you. When you feel your colleagues are supportive, that your managers are supportive, it definitely motivates you to work harder."

But while Singapore has progressed in terms of accepting the idea of work-life flexibility, industry players said more needs to be done in the area of implementation.

A survey by the Manpower Ministry found that in 2012, 41 percent of employers offer at least one form of flexible work arrangement. This is a 25 per cent increase from 2007.

Claire Chiang, chairperson of Employer Alliance, said: "The fear about execution, about whether there is going to be a negative impact, whether it's going to be a backlash - it's what grips or paralyses any execution. That's where we are working at."

But with the advance of new technology which can facilitate even more flexible work arrangements, the Employer Alliance expects this trend to change.