The Big Read in short: Better work-life balance doesn't have to be at the expense of competitiveness

Workers and experts interviewed by TODAY laid out some factors behind the growing demand for work-life harmony and debunked the notion that this speaks of a workforce which lacks hunger or is uncompetitive.Each week, TODAY’s long-running Big Read series delves into the trends and issues that matter. This week, we look at how Singapore workers can navigate their growing priority on work-life balance without losing their competitive edge.

The 29-year-old digital marketing manager said her priorities have shifted since she gave birth in July last year. She was working in a different company previously, but had sought out a new role four months after becoming a mother. “I think presently, nothing is more important than to be able to witness my son growing up and being around for his milestones.

However, the release of the guidelines last month has also reignited debate on the issue of work-life balance and flexible work, which has long attractedIn the wake of the announcement, some employers had also come out to say that they may even rethink hiring local staff, and instead Dr Shannon Ang, an assistant professor of sociology at Nanyang Technological University, said that the slower economic growth Singapore sees today compared to the past could prompt a new generation of workers to feel like it is “less ‘worth it’ to keep pursuing economic growth”, as they do not enjoy the same extent of progress.

Employees also disagree with the notion that those who yearn for work-life balance are less hungry for success. Mr Jivan Tulsani, head of marketing at blockchain firm TZ APAC, also agreed that a growing demand for work-life balance does not reflect a lack of hunger from employees. Other challenges they raised include the difficulty of monitoring employees’ productivity and performance when they work remotely or are operating on flexible schedules.

They pointed out that competitiveness is multi-faceted, and prioritising work-life balance does not have to come at the expense of a workforce’s attractiveness or economic progress. Highlighting findings from studies which surveyed respondents of various occupations and skill levels, Assoc Prof Sim said that working beyond a certain threshold of hours may in fact increase errors and decrease one’s productivity.

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