Boost for work-life harmony with new tripartite standard

A new tripartite standard was launched yesterday, with several recommendations to give work-life harmony a boost here.

Employers were urged to make available schemes to support their workers, from family days and subsidised health screening to staff recreation areas, to further promote work-life balance at the workplace.

Arrangements to suit those with caregiving responsibilities, such as allowing them to telecommute, offering additional leave or having staggered times for starting and finishing work, were also encouraged.

The Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony was developed by the Ministry of Manpower, National Trades Union Congress and Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), in response to recommendations by the Citizens' Panel on Work-Life Harmony.

Part of the larger Singapore Together movement launched by the fourth-generation leadership team in June 2019 to involve citizens more widely in shaping policies, the citizens' panel deliberated on issues such as flexible working arrangements and proposed ways to boost work-life harmony, including a more supportive workplace culture. The panel included employers, workers, homemakers and retirees.

Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang said yesterday that there was a need to look at how employers and their workers could be better supported on the work-life harmony front.

"In this new normal, Singaporeans are becoming more used to hybrid work, but are also increasingly concerned about the blurring of work-life boundaries, and hope to be able to juggle work and personal commitments better," she noted.

Ms Gan acknowledged the varied needs of employees and employers across job roles and life stages.

The tripartite standard suggested other employment practices, including having companies establish and communicate their work-life harmony policy to support workers' mental health needs and prevent burnout.

They were encouraged to appoint a senior management member to champion work-life balance, offer employees enhanced leave benefits such as extended childcare leave, and review the effectiveness of their work-life programmes through regular surveys or focus group discussions.

Employers were also advised to adopt the earlier Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements, launched in 2017 to get them to offer more flexi-work options such as choosing when to start and finish work.

The Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony encourages employers to:

• Adopt the Tripartite Standard on Flexible Work Arrangements.

• Put in place employee support schemes such as family days, subsidised health screening and staff recreation areas, and use technological tools to support these schemes.

• Implement enhanced leave policies for all employees by offering at least two enhanced leave benefits, communicating them and encouraging utilisation.

• Appoint a senior management member to champion work-life harmony.

• Discuss suitable arrangements for employees with caregiving responsibilities.

• Establish and share the company's work-life harmony policy with workers to support their mental well-being, prevent work burnout and raise productivity.

• Review the effectiveness of work-life programmes regularly.

The Public Service Division would study the recommended employment practices "with a view towards adoption by public sector agencies", the tripartite partners said in a joint release.

To help firms take the first step in adopting the new standard, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices will hold clinics and workshops.

SNEF council member Bicky Bhangu noted that nearly four in five employers, or 78 per cent, implemented at least one formal type of flexible work arrangement last year, up from about half, or 53 per cent, in 2019. This was partly due to the need to maintain safe operations during the pandemic.

The launch of the tripartite standard was timely, he said.

"The key is for the standards to be flexible enough for employers to implement work-life practices that take care of the varying needs and well-being of employees. Getting this right can help to imp-rove employee engagement and productivity."