Work-Life Conference and Excellence Award Gala Dinner 2010
Work-life strategy for higher productivity and better quality of life
The Work-Life Conference 2010 was held at Resorts World Convention Centre on 26 August 2010. Organised by the Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy (TriCom), this year’s conference theme was Work-Life Strategy for Higher Productivity and Better Quality of Life. The conference focused more on implementation, and how to effectively put in place Work-Life programmes that would serve as a critical competitive advantage to attract, motivate and retain staff.
The conference was attended by some 500 employers, union and government representatives, for a series of workshops and networking sessions. Dr Ellen Ernst Kossek, a well-known Work-Life expert in North America and Europe who has authored many research reports and books on the issue of Work-Life Integration, was the keynote speaker at the event. She shared her take on the relevance of Work-Life Strategy as a tool to manage an increasingly diverse talent pool with different Work-Life patterns.
For the first time, Conference participants also had the opportunity to participate in Work-Life clinics helmed by experienced Work-Life Consultants to learn more about the different areas of Work-Life Integration and effective ways to implement these strategies for their work place.
The Work-Life Conference was succeeded by the biennial Work-Life Excellence Award (WLEA) Gala dinner held on 27 August 2010.
The WLEA Gala Dinner saw 25 organisations being recognised for their successful and innovative work-life strategies with the Work-Life Excellence Award, and 45 organisations being conferred the Work-Life Achiever Award for their efforts in adopting work-life strategies. In addition, two individuals, Mrs Joanna Koh-Hoe, President of Focus on the Family Singapore Ltd and Mr Francis Tan, HR Director at Sheraton Towers Singapore, were recognised with the Work-Life Leadership Award for their outstanding commitment to creating a supportive work-life culture for their employees.
This year’s Work-Life Excellence Awards saw some 50% more applications as compared to two years ago in 2008, with 70% being first time applicants. There were also more Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) among the award winners this year, with 13 SME winners as compared to eight winners two years ago, indicating a growing interest among SMEs to reap the benefits of work-life strategies.
Minister for Manpower Mr Gan Kim Yong noted that with the tightening labour market, raising wages to attract, motivate and retain employees will not be sustainable in the long term. Employers who are able to engage employees and motivate them to give their best and remain with the organisation, will be able to retain the competencies and institutional knowledge to build on growth opportunities. Read Minister Gan’s full speech for more details.
The TriCom extends its heartiest congratulations to the 70 employers and 2 individuals for their achievements and for winning the awards.