SINGAPORE: The Singapore Government has assured that it prioritises encouraging businesses to develop family-friendly workplaces in response to a series of forum letters published by the national broadsheet.
One of the two letters that prompted the Government’s response stressed the need for collaboration between the Government, employers, and the wider community to create a ‘Singapore Made For Families,’ where marriage and parenthood are attainable, enjoyable, and celebrated.
The other letter urged the authorities and employers to make it easier for young working couples to have more babies and looked to Japan’s example to make the point that workplace support is key in this endeavour.
Agreeing with these views, a civil servant at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a forum letter published by The Straits Times on Sunday (8 Jan) that the government has been enhancing measures over the years to support working parents better.
Ms Amelia Tang, Senior Director at the PMO’s National Population and Talent Division, outlined various initiatives aimed at creating a conducive environment for work and family life balance. She said:
“Our surveys and engagements with couples have similarly shown that managing work and family commitments is one of the key considerations when making parenthood decisions.”
She highlighted the government’s progressive measures, including the recent doubling of government-paid paternity leave to four weeks and unpaid infant care leave extended to 12 days per year, effective from the start of 2024. These measures reflect the government’s dedication to facilitating a supportive environment for new parents.
Tripartite partners, comprising the government, employers, and unions, have actively promoted family-friendly workplace practices.
Initiatives such as the Tripartite Standard on Unpaid Leave for Unexpected Care Needs in 2018 and the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony in 2021 exemplify collaborative efforts to assist employees in managing their work and family commitments.
Ms Tang also announced plans to introduce the Tripartite Guidelines on Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) requests in the coming year. These guidelines aim to establish norms and expectations for employees making FWA requests, ensuring responsible use, and guiding employers on proper and fair management of such requests.
The Government representative added, “We will continue to work closely with tripartite partners to encourage employers to build family-friendly workplace cultures and implement human resource practices that allow them to achieve their business objectives and support their employees at the same time.”