Flexi-work guidelines not enough to return to the labour force, caregivers say

People walking in the central business district in Singapore on Nov 16, 2022. SINGAPORE: Jonathan Ng quit his job in sales nine years ago to become the sole caregiver to his then five-year-old daughter, who is on the autism spectrum and has an intellectual disability.

“If I cannot bring , then I cannot work,” Mr Ng told CNA during a rare break in his day while his daughter was in dance practice. Caregivers who spoke to CNA welcomed the spirit of these changes, but were sceptical that they can be implemented. The guidelines, which apply to existing employees, were also not enough to address the concerns of those looking for jobs, caregivers said.

With the girl now two and in full-time childcare, Mdm Kaur has spent the past nine months looking for a job in learning and development. As of end-April, she had received five callbacks from over 50 applications, with no concrete offers. She was happy about the new guidelines as they gave her hope that employers would be more open to considering flexible workers like herself.

This may happen in cases where a manager is just implementing a flexible work arrangement that has already been decided, but without believing in the principles behind it, she said. The 29-year-old has been a caregiver for her brother, who is three years older and has an intellectual disability and schizoaffective disorder, since she graduated from polytechnic.

While the environment was generally supportive, she recalled a colleague once saying: “She’s been taking leave, and we constantly have to step up for her.” This saddened her. When she landed her dream job in a public relations firm, only two-and-a-half months passed before she realised that the profession would not accommodate her caregiving duties.

The non-profit organisation runs training programmes and provides a network of support for caregivers, particularly those looking after people with mental health issues. As for running a caregiver-friendly workplace, Mr Lee said what matters is having compassion for employees, as well as a strong financial foundation so that the company can afford to give its staff flexibility.Taking a wider perspective, caregivers also cited a need for more daycare options so that they can leave loved ones and go to work with peace of mind.

Caregiving Caregivers

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