The Big Read in short: Better work-life balance doesn't have to be at the expense of competitiveness

SINGAPORE — For new mother Nur Sabrina Muhleseddin, being able to enjoy work-life balance is something she values in a job, as it allows her to be present for her son’s milestones.

The 29-year-old digital marketing manager said her priorities have shifted since she gave birth in July last year. She was working in a different company previously, but had sought out a new role four months after becoming a mother. 

Being able to balance work with caring for her son is especially important to Ms Nur Sabrina, whose husband works in the hospitality industry as a shift manager — often having to work irregular hours and on weekends.

Her flexible work post-pregnancy would mean that at least one of them — herself or her husband — can be present for their child, she said.

Currently, she works almost entirely from home — save for a few in-person meetings with her clients at their offices about once or twice a week.

“I think presently, nothing is more important than to be able to witness my son growing up and being around for his milestones.

“I’ve had a good few years of working up the ladder. Right now, I just need a job so that I can provide food on the table and share the bills with my husband,” said Ms Nur Sabrina.

The approach embraced by Ms Nur Sabrina reflects a growing shift among Singapore workers towards prioritising work-life balance — with many recognising that work is not everything, and hence desiring to spend less time at work and more time on personal pursuits.

WHY IT MATTERS

Recent surveys have shown a growing expectation among the Singapore workforce for greater work-life harmony.

A survey done by recruitment agency Randstad in 2023 found that more respondents are prioritising work-life balance over salary: Ninety-five per cent of Singapore workers said that having work-life balance is important to them in their current and future jobs, compared to 90 per cent who said pay is important.

Related to the greater yearning for work-life balance is flexible work options, which allow employees to carve out a suitable work-life rhythm tailored to their individual needs at different life stages.

From December this year, all firms in Singapore will be required to have a formal process in place for their employees to request for flexible working arrangements.

However, the release of the guidelines last month has also reignited debate on the issue of work-life balance and flexible work, which has long attracted polarising sentiments — even to the extent of some questioning whether Singapore workers have increasingly lost their hunger and drive.

In the wake of the announcement, some employers had also come out to say that they may even rethink hiring local staff, and instead look overseas for recruitment.

The debate also begs the broader question: In resource-scarce Singapore, is it too much for employees to seek a better quality of life by way of better work-life balance?

Or must its workforce — as the nation’s prime resource — remain in a perpetual state of being “kiasu” (Singlish for “scared to lose”), for fear of others stealing its rice bowl and ultimately losing its overall competitive edge?

THE BIG PICTURE

Human resource and sociology experts told TODAY that while the Covid-19 pandemic may have accelerated the demand for better work-life balance and flexible work as more employees recognise the feasibility of such arrangements, the growing expectation for work-life balance is ultimately not a new phenomenon.

Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser, a sociologist from National University of Singapore (NUS), said that even before working from home became a feature of the new post-pandemic work norm, there has been a “silent but significant value shift towards prioritising work autonomy and quality of life” — and, in turn, work-life balance — with Singapore becoming a more affluent, post-materialist society.

Dr Shannon Ang, an assistant professor of sociology at Nanyang Technological University, said that the slower economic growth Singapore sees today compared to the past could prompt a new generation of workers to feel like it is “less ‘worth it’ to keep pursuing economic growth”, as they do not enjoy the same extent of progress.

“Older cohorts saw palpable change in their living conditions for the sacrifices that they made. Younger cohorts are unlikely to see the same kind of progress, and are probably quickly realising it may be better to invest their time in pursuits that seem more meaningful to them,” said Dr Ang.

At the same time, experts also cautioned against the general tendency to assume that the desire for work-life balance is mainly confined to a younger generation of workers.  

Mr Richard Bradshaw, the Asia chief executive officer of recruitment consultancy Ethos BeathChapman, noted that the desire for better work-life balance has grown to be a “common requirement” across different working demographics and ages today, and to some extent, may even be perceived as a form of “basic workers’ rights”.

Employees also disagree with the notion that those who yearn for work-life balance are less hungry for success.

Father of three Edwin Ho, 47, said that a person who devotes equal amounts of time to work and personal life can be more successful, productive and fulfilling, than a person who only works hard and spends huge amounts of time at work while sacrificing other matters in life, like spending time with family and friends or travelling.

“I think we first must define (our) purpose for working hard and what success is, so that we can work towards that goal and in doing so, learn to find a balance between work and personal life.”

The senior associate director at Finexis Advisory made the switch from an engineer in the Republic of Singapore Air Force to his current career in personal finance to be able to spend more time with his children, who are aged 19, 16, and 14 years old.

Mr Jivan Tulsiani, head of marketing at blockchain firm TZ APAC, also agreed that a growing demand for work-life balance does not reflect a lack of hunger from employees.

“It’s more of a shift in how ambitious professionals define success. It’s important to understand the concept of purpose, which is an aggregate of components such as talent, passion, skills, occupation, charity and service,” he said.

With more people yearning for better work-life harmony, the million-dollar question is whether, from employers’ point of view, it is too much to ask for.

Some employers, especially those in the services industries, told TODAY that it is difficult to accede to employees’ requests, given the nature of their role and industry.

Other challenges they raised include the difficulty of monitoring employees’ productivity and performance when they work remotely or are operating on flexible schedules.

Also of concern to employers are potential impacts on business operations and stakeholder relationships, ensuring fair team workload distribution, and any associated costs, said Ms Khew Shu Ping, deputy managing director of public relations agency Tate Anzur.

Some employers who recognise the need to afford their employees greater work-life harmony said that they also have such employees who are high achievers.

Mr Winthrop Wong, co-founder and pharmacist at e-pharmacy Glovida-Rx, said this is the case of some of its medical sales staff. 

“We set them qualitative and quantitative goals on a yearly and monthly basis and if they are able to achieve these targets, we basically allow them to schedule their days in what is most productive to them.”

THE BOTTOMLINE

Ultimately, there is no need for Singapore workers to remain in a perpetually “kiasu” state — more “work”, less “life” — to ensure they retain their competitive edge, said experts.

They pointed out that competitiveness is multi-faceted, and prioritising work-life balance does not have to come at the expense of a workforce’s attractiveness or economic progress.

In 2022, the BBC reported that Norway and Denmark had work weeks that were shorter than 40 hours, yet were respectively the second- and seventh-most productive countries in the world then.

For one thing, what workers may lose out on in absolute hours put into work can be made up for in other ways, such as increased productivity during the actual time they are at their jobs.

Associate Professor Nicholas Sim, from the Singapore University of Social Sciences’ School of Business, said: “While there are trade-offs between competitiveness and work-life balance, it is not necessarily true that work-life balance must be sacrificed to increase competitiveness, particularly if this refers to an increase in productivity.”

Highlighting findings from studies which surveyed respondents of various occupations and skill levels, Assoc Prof Sim said that working beyond a certain threshold of hours may in fact increase errors and decrease one’s productivity.

“Moreover, many studies have also consistently shown that poorer employee well-being is associated with increased disengagement and intentions to quit," he said,

“A hyper-competitive corporate culture may also foster toxic work environments that ultimately undermines productivity.”

As the push for flexible work arrangements gains momentum even as Singapore strives to maintain its competitive edge, both employers and employees will have their work cut out for them in navigating this new landscape.

For a prospective employee, expressing a desire for greater work-life balance by way of flexible work arrangements — especially at the job interview stage — may work against the candidate, if the employer does not have such work arrangements in place, said Mr Suhaimi Salleh, chief executive officer of consultancy and professional training firm SSA Group.

At the same time, employers who do not offer such flexible work arrangements may also find themselves at a disadvantage in attracting and retaining talent, especially as workers’ expectations for work-life balance continue to evolve, he said.

This is also a point that Manpower Minister Tan See Leng has made in explaining the rationale of flexible work arrangements. 

Ultimately, the transition towards fully embracing greater work-life balance — premised on a mindset of results-oriented work — will require cultural and mindset shifts, which would take time, said experts.

Leading up to that, employers told TODAY that building a culture of mutual trust and open communication with their employees would be key to a smooth transition.

Still, all these are worthy adjustments to be made.

Mr Tulsiani of TZ APAC, said: “The lines between work and personal life are not as clear as it was before: Professionals today view their occupation as an important piece of a jigsaw puzzle that embodies their purpose in life. 

“It is one of the many priorities they devote their attention to, in addition to family, health, passion, service, charity, talent development and more.

“Putting their employees’ purposes at the forefront of policy making will (thus) be key to retaining and attracting the best people, which is the lifeblood of any organisation.”