Articles
April 25, 2022
In Singapore, the term ‘work life balance’ has grown to hold a lot more weight than it ever has, albeit this comes as no surprise.
Ranked as the 2nd most overworked population in the world, Singapore is now undergoing a change in its workscape, where more and more people start to look at work life balance as a priority when applying to companies for job opportunities.
In fact, in 2021, for the very first time, work life balance came in as—not just one of, but—the top priority of respondents in the long-running Randstad Singapore’s Employer Brand Research Survey, where 74% of those surveyed ranked work life balance and salary to be the most important employee value propositions they look for in an ideal employer.
But it’s not just to cater to employees’ preferences that many companies are incorporating work life balance into their operations. It has been proven by countless studies that giving employees a healthy work life balance increases employee satisfaction, and that happpier, healthier employees lead to a more productive workforce.
With that said, companies shouldn’t just encourage their employees to actively pursue work life balance through their own means; after all, satisfied employees mean higher work productivity and profit margins for the businesses they belong to.
It is also the companies that best advocate work life balance in their culture and practices that will attract the best talents to work for them, so it’s definitely something worth managing well alongside HR compensation and benefits.
In that vein, here are five ways in which you can facilitate better work life balance for your employees:
Employees today value companies which empower them to manage their own time as long as the job gets done. But it’s not just the length of working hours they’d like discretion over; workers also want to be trusted to manage when, where, and how they work.
Businesses should implore management to focus on employees’ performance and completion of tasks rather than hours worked. This should also be factored into hiring processes, where businesses’ HR job evaluation frameworks should prioritise how much value a potential hire can bring to the table during working hours rather the number of hours a potential hire is willing to work.
Companies should also encourage employees to take breaks where needed and make fitness and health—both physical and mental—priorities in their lives. For example, simple things such as a quick nap or a 15-minute walk outside the office can help significantly boost energy and concentration, while also decreasing employees’ stress.
The Singapore Health Promotion Board also offers a wide range of workplace programmes that businesses can tap on to encourage healthy lifestyles for their employees.
There is perhaps no greater indicator of how an employer cares for their employees than the giving of paid time-off and urgent leave for when an employee experiences unexpected changes or unforseen events outside of work.
After all, no HR compensation and benefit can replace the peace of mind an employee gets when knowing that they can—whenever needed—take time off with no expense nor distrust imposed upon them by their employer.
Last but definitely not least, is that businesses should seek to actively build a culture of care and trust in their organisation. It is important that the company culture allows employees to feel supported, respected, and cared for, such that any initiative you implement regarding work life balance is not just made known but felt and appreciated.
This way, employees are likely to form more than just a legal contract with you, but a psychological one as well, encompassing better performance and higher commitment to your company in exchange for a high degree of trust, respect, fairness, and compassion in the way they are treated.
Liberte is an award-winning HR service provider in Singapore, with an entire suite of expert HR consultancy services and HR & payroll outsourcing solutions.
Get in touch with us today and let us help you get started on better managing your workforce. You can also check out our resource page for more tools, tips, and news on all things HR.
