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Singaporean men need to embrace flexible working

A majority of Singaporean employees say their employers fall short of expectations when it comes to supporting family-friendly work practices.

According to a survey by Hays, 36% of the 378 respondents said their workplace is not supportive of family-friendly work practices and a further 36% said there is some support, but not enough. Only 28% of respondents said their companies have family-friendly practices.

"The results suggest that more could be done to enable both the primary caregiver to remain in employment and encourage supporting partners to take a greater role in parenting responsibilities," the report stated.

It added the benefits of work and family flexibilities can be achieved in all workplaces, regardless of the size of the business.

Chris Mead, regional director of Hays in Singapore and Malaysia, expanded on how incorporating corporate policies which are family friendly aids in retention levels and in boosting productivity.

He cited reduced absenteeism, being recognised as an employer of choice and increasing morale and job satisfaction as some of the key advantages of developing family friendly work practices.

"How Singaporean men and women split work and family responsibilities continues to be a challenging issue. However, if more men were to embrace flexible working arrangements such as working part-time, seeking job shares or work-from-home options and increase their care-giving responsibilities, gender inequality in the workforce could be reduced."

He added it's not just working women that need access to family-friendly working arrangements.

"Companies can support both parents through such measures as paid and unpaid parental leave, personal leave to care for sick or injured children and offering ‘keeping in touch days' during parental leave."

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