Can flexi-work help close the gender gap in caregiving?

Caring for children, the sick and the elderly, and running a household make up the unpaid load that falls just about entirely on women. Men are the providers, right?

This age-old stereotype needs a shake-up, and the introduction of tripartite guidelines requiring employers to fairly and reasonably consider requests for flexible work arrangements (FWAs) might just be the nudge to help enable this.

Such an arrangement would enable women to work from home, bring in an income and contribute to household expenses, while juggling all their caregiving duties at the same time.

It does not seem ideal – in fact, it seems like a lot of pressure – but it would enable more women to enter the workforce, or re-enter it.   

It also opens up other possibilities – including men being able to take on both the traditional role of provider and the non-traditional role of caregiver. After all, what’s to stop them from seeking an FWA enabling them to keep an eye on the children or bathe a frail grandparent, while holding down a job?

Plenty, as it turns out. Chief of which is society’s mindset that caregiving is women’s work. 

UN panel points to lack of public campaigns

Singapore was commended for being ranked among the top 10 countries globally for gender equality and for its strong commitment to eliminate gender discrimination.

However, at the most recent review of Singapore’s sixth periodic report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a United Nations expert panel raised concerns about discriminatory stereotypes that still exist in Singapore. 

It noted that despite the growing recognition of the importance of a father’s involvement in his children’s lives, and the increase in paternity leave, there is a lack of public awareness campaigns to eliminate stereotypes about the roles and responsibilities of women as primary and sole caregivers.

This also includes the need to educate men and boys on gender stereotypes to ensure equal partnerships and promote equal sharing of responsibilities within the family.

Why does it matter that more women should be able to enter the workforce, yet have the flexibility to tend to domestic tasks? Consider this: According to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Labour Force Report 2023, there were more than 680,000 women outside the workforce, and 194,400 of them were between the ages of 25 and 59.

Among them, 68 per cent cited housework or caregiving as the main reason for not working.

And why does it matter that work flexibility needs to include men, opening up time for them to help out with traditional, unpaid “women’s work”? This: Given the rapidly increasing ageing population in Singapore, it is unattainable for caregiving to be the responsibility of a single gender. Effects of the unequal load on women are exacerbated in their older years as they live longer, often alone, and have little to no retirement savings.  

Women’s caregiving woes

Taking time away from full-time work to assume the role of caregiver is a contributing factor to the gender pay gap and, in part, the cause of the savings gap reflected in the lower Central Provident Fund (CPF) balances for women. In 2023, the average CPF balance of women over 65 years old was $97,281, which was below the Basic Retirement Sum of $99,400. 

Older women also tend to be concentrated in lower-skilled and lower-income jobs, such as cleaners and labourers. In 2013, 18.6 per cent of all women in such jobs were over 65 years old. This number doubled in 2023.

While enhancements have been made to the CPF system and other support measures over the years, these are still insufficient for women to reach retirement adequacy. The Majulah Package is beneficial, but the effectiveness of the scheme can be limited as many women are ineligible to receive benefits like the Earn and Save Bonus since they are unable to participate fully in the workforce.

The accessibility and availability of flexible work arrangements are complementary to enabling women to fully reap the benefits of the Majulah Package and other retirement schemes, by supporting them in returning to work and remaining and progressing in their careers. 

In a study by the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) in 2022, eight in 10 of the 500 respondents, between the ages of 52 and 62, wanted their employers to provide FWAs. This group is the future cohort of the ageing population in Singapore, and they desire to balance their health and social life, while maintaining their financial and career stability at this later stage in life.

This is consistent with the many studies that show FWAs are an important tool for talent attraction and retention.

And now, from December,

all employers must abide by the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement Requests.

MOM said the guidelines will shape the right norms and expectations around FWAs by setting how employees should request and use them, and how employers and supervisors should handle such requests.

The expectation is that more companies will offer FWAs. And with greater access to them, both men and women need not choose between work and caregiving. 

Can FWAs alone level the playing field?   

FWAs should inarguably be a workplace norm, but it would be a mistake to think of them as the silver bullet to eradicate gender inequality at the workplace.

Getting to the root of unequal caregiving roles between men and women requires a societal mindset shift. Greater emphasis must be placed on the recognition of shared responsibilities and shared purpose in caring for children and the elderly in the family. There must be a mindset shift for men to take on an equal role as caregivers. 

The stereotypical view of men as breadwinners and being deemed less nurturing impedes the active involvement of men in parenting and caregiving. Such gender stereotypes in the family and workplaces are likely why only 53 per cent of fathers are making use of paid paternity leave, according to 2021 data.

Although more fathers recognise the importance of shared parenting and desire to be more involved, they may not exercise their right to tap family-friendly schemes, including FWAs, due to the fear of negative perceptions from their employers. Concerns over their performance and career progression are real.   

It’s not just male perspectives on what constitutes a woman’s domain that are at play. Negative perceptions about men’s caregiving abilities can also be found at home, where some mothers and female family members believe that men lack the competency to be caregivers, and are not supportive of them taking on the role of caregiver.

The disparity in maternity and paternity leave can perpetuate stereotypes about roles and responsibilities. Mothers of newborns are entitled to 16 weeks of maternity leave, and four of them can be shared with their husbands through shared parental leave. Fathers are entitled to another four weeks of paid paternity leave, totalling eight weeks. To encourage fathers to play a greater caregiving role, they should be able to be at home as often as mothers. 

In addition to measures like FWAs and paid paternity leave, what we need is a concerted effort to encourage more men to take up the various leave schemes. There can be public awareness campaigns targeting workplaces to provide more support and encouragement for fathers and men to promote equal sharing of domestic and caregiving responsibilities. 

We must not forget the young ones, too. Parents should be educated about the importance of gender equality and gender roles within families to recognise their unconscious biases and avoid entrenching stereotypes among their children.

This is something that the SCWO focuses on through initiatives such as the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame and Project Awesome, which educates young people about the equal role men and women play at work, at home and in the community. 

It takes all of us

We must normalise the concept of men as caregivers and break gender stereotypes by providing a conducive and inclusive work environment with family-friendly workplace practices for all caregivers – male or female, young or old. This is crucial to reduce the bias and prejudice women face at the workplace.

While supportive government policies are crucial, the community plays an important part in diluting harmful gender stereotypes. 

Women being relegated to caregiving roles within the household is a trend perpetuated by traditional mindsets and gender stereotypes. These entrenched notions, that women are responsible for domestic duties and caregiving, reinforce societal expectations that designate them as primary caregivers.

It’s time for this to change.