Mr Chandra Segara, Senior Manager, Transitlink,
Management representatives,
Union colleagues from SISEU; and
Friends.
1. I am pleased to partner Transitlink in this Little Ones @ Work programme. I also want to thank the Singapore Industrial and Services union for working with us on this project.
2. The objective of this programme is to provide an opportunity for children to gain insights into their parents’ workday and to experience a real work environment. Transitlink is the third company to launch this programme with us this year. The other two companies that the NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat had partnered are CapitaLand and HSL Construction where similar events were held on 5th and 19th December respectively.
3. Including Transitlink, a total of 230 employees and their children have participated in the three pilot runs of our Little Ones @ Work programme. Moving ahead, the NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat hopes to reach out to 20 companies next year to run this programme in the month of June to coincide with the annual National Family Celebrations. Over time, we hope that this programme will gain momentum and we can even see an annual Little Ones @ Work Day.
4. Many years ago when I was visiting a factory in Japan, I saw young children being escorted around the factory by an adult who was giving them a briefing about the work there. That experience left quite a deep impression on me as it serves to achieve several things. Firstly, it helps to instill and inculcate positive work ethics from young. Secondly, it helps children to better understand what their parents do at work, something which they often ask parents and are curious about. Thirdly, it serves to remind companies that workers are not just digits at work but do have other commitments that need to be equally nurtured and developed for them to lead normal, fulfilling lives and contribute effectively as employees. Indeed, the separation between home and work is often an artificial one. What happens at work impacts on our home life and, similarly, what happens at home affects performance at work.
5. Today’s programme will bring the children on a tour of the Transitlink Contact Centre and the IT department. This Little Ones @ Work programme is part of our overall strategy to promote work life integration in Singapore. Based on a survey conducted by the NTUC Women’s Development Secretariat among 200 companies in Singapore early this year, we found that employees’ support and want better work life integration at work. The survey also shows that companies too found work life integration programmes useful. About 75% of them felt that such programmes helped boost employees’ motivation and morale. 69% felt that it had a positive effect on employer branding and 66% felt that it had produced happy employees. A recent Ministry of Manpower survey further confirmed that more Singapore employers are making use of flexible work arrangements and many are also offering family-friendly and non-statutory leave benefits.
6. Faced with the constant struggle to integrate job responsibilities and personal commitments, employees are looking to the workplace to provide some relief, support and practical solutions to their busy and stressful lives. Companies that are willing and able to help employees integrate the demands of work and home life have an edge when it comes to recruiting and retaining skilled employees. Global studies have shown that work-life effectiveness is a major determinant of job selection for college graduates in the 21st century.
7. When employees are out of balance, they experience more stress, anxiety and fatigue, and consequently tend to be absent from work more often. According to a 2001 survey by the US Family and Work Institute, nearly 50 per cent of all US workers tend to be overwhelmed by a growing number of job tasks and longer work hours. And a work-life integration survey by Monster.com found that 81 per cent of respondents were unhappy with their work-life fit. The result can be a lose-lose situation for employees, families and employers.
8. Hence, work-life effectiveness initiatives are important. Work-life initiatives refer to any benefits, policies or programmes that recognize the business, social and personal benefits of integrating work with other dimensions of employees’ lives. Studies indicate that businesses with work-life integration initiatives reap real benefits.
9. Many people have asked me whether work life integration programmes are still relevant during a downturn as companies would be busy trying to cut costs and keeping their businesses afloat. I would like to emphasise that even as companies deal with the challenges brought about by the current downturn, they must not lose sight of their long term goals. Human resource policies cannot be developed only for the imminent and immediate needs but to be sustainable have to take the long term needs of the company into consideration. And regardless of whether we are in a good or poor economic situation, employees need support to deal with the daily struggle of keeping a healthy balance between work and life. Indeed, one could argue that in a downturn this becomes even more important as families will face added pressures arising from a weaker job security and reduced or stagnating incomes.
10. On this, I must also take the opportunity to applaud Transitlink for their enlightened approach not only in supporting our Little Ones @ Work programme. Transitlink has also embarked on the CCI or Customer Centric Initiative and ramped up its efforts to train its employees to be more customer-centric and in the process enhance their own job security.
11. In conclusion, 2008 has indeed been a most eventful year. We started the year with a great deal of promise. We had good economic growth, strong job creation and we staged the Formula One racing, the Singapore Flyer started operations and we even clinched the Youth Olympic. At the same time, this is a year that will be remembered for its high inflation that has not occurred in decades and the rapid unwinding of our economy due to the global financial crisis. But it is during such times that we will be able to separate the wheat from the chaff in labour relations. In good times, it is easy to maintain good relations but the test is during bad times when greater effort is needed to achieve win win outcomes.
12. On this note, I wish all our little ones and their parents who are present here today a fulfilling and rewarding journey at work together. Let me also wish everyone a very peaceful, happy and wonderful 2009.
Thank you.
