Speech at Tripartite Committee on Work-Life Strategy at the Launch of Employer Alliance's Work-Life Smart Kit
Mr Hawazi Daipi , Senior Parliamentary Secretary , Sheraton Towers Singapore
Ms Claire Chiang, Chairperson of the Employer Alliance,
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning. I am happy to be here today for the launch of the Work-Life Smart Kit initiated by the Employer Alliance.
Introduction
2. This event is taking place during a difficult time for our employers and workers. Our economy has contracted over the past 4 quarters. Retrenchment numbers have gone up. Some 7,500 and 10,800 workers were retrenched in the last quarter of 2008 and in the first quarter of 2009 respectively. This compares with the 2,274 workers who were retrenched in the first quarter of 2008.
3. It is understandable that workers will face more challenges and stress during this downturn, particularly those who are retrenched or facing a drop in income due to the loss of over-time and wage cuts. Even employed workers will be concerned over their job security. It is therefore timely for the Employer Alliance to launch the Work-Life Smart Kit to help employers and workers better manage Work-Life challenges.
4. I believe employers present here today are aware of the importance and benefits of Work-Life strategies in addressing the Work-Life challenges that their employees face. For example, employee support schemes that provide counselling and stress management can be particularly useful in assisting workers who are directly or indirectly affected by retrenchment. Flexible work arrangements – something as simple as allowing your workers to take a few hours off for personal emergencies – can help employees manage stress especially in these difficult times and be more productive at work.
Work-Life strategies enhance productivity in the long run
5. In fact, Work-Life strategies should also be viewed as a business tool that can help organisations enhance and sustain worker productivity in the long run. Progressive employers increasingly recognise that Work-Life programmes such as flexible work arrangements enable workers to work at their best and are valuable in ensuring business continuity. In addition, flexible work arrangements are important to encourage women, especially mothers, to return to the workforce after starting a family. Such arrangements can also play a key role to enable older workers to continue working beyond retirement age . MOM's Conditions of Employment Survey show that the number of establishments with Flexible Work Arrangements has increased from 19.1% in 2000 to 27.5% in 2008 . This is encouraging, and we should help even more companies to implement such arrangements.
Helping employers kick-start Work-Life strategies
6. To help companies kick-start their Work-Life strategies, we have enhanced the Work-Life Works or WoW! Fund and Flexi-Works!, which help employers introduce Work-Life measures at the workplace, with a focus on flexible work arrangements. As at April 2009, the WoW! Fund has benefited over 500 companies, over 95% of which are SMEs . The two programmes share a common first tranche funding of $10,000 for employers to provide flexible work arrangements. Thereafter, applicants can either apply for an additional $10,000 under the WoW! Fund to develop integrated Work-Life processes, or tap on Flexi-Works! for an additional $90,000 to recruit and retain economically inactive persons above the age of 30, or both. I encourage employers who have not implemented Work-Life measures or flexible work arrangements to look into how these programmes can help them and their employees.
Launching a suite of resources to implement Work-Life strategies
7. To further assist our HR practitioners to build the necessary knowledge and skills to implement Work-Life strategies, the Employer Alliance will be launching the Work-Life Smart Kit. The Work-Life Smart Kit includes a set of online web tools which serve as a one-stop resource centre to help employers implement work-life strategy. The Kit includes a quarterly Work-Life newsletter called “Upbeat”, featuring success stories and tips; and a list of qualified Work-Life Consultants who can provide assistance and advice on work-life issues. Today also marks the official completion of training for a new batch of Work-Life consultants. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the consultants and express my thanks to Ms Claire Chiang, chairperson of the Employer Alliance, and her team for developing this Work-Life Smart Kit.
8. I would like to urge companies to find out more about Work-Life strategies from the Work-Life Smart Kit, better understand the needs of your employees, and assist them in managing both work and family commitments. This will help you to build a stronger, more engaged and more productive workforce. Your focus on helping your employees harmonise work and personal responsibilities will put your company in good stead as an enlightened employer. This will prove to be valuable in retaining and attracting employees when the economy recovers.
Conclusion
9. On our part, along with our partners such as the Employer Alliance, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), we will keep up the tripartite efforts to promote Work-Life Harmony in Singapore. Together, even in these difficult times, we can help employers to maintain and improve the morale of workers and bolster their performance, and make Singapore a great place to work. Thank you.