SINGAPORE: While Singapore makes provision for child care leave, why not do the same for people who now have to take responsibility for the care of the elderly members of their families, especially singles, argued Workers Party Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC) in Parliament earlier this month.
In a speech on Mar 4, Assoc Prof Lim pointed out the “asymmetry” between childcare and eldercare leave, further saying that women often have the burden of caregiving for both children and elderly family members.
He broached the idea of “family care” instead, which includes, to begin with, two days paid leave for individuals who are the only children of elderly parents and singles who live with their parents.
The WP MP said that even if this is an added cost for employers, the benefits that result from better conditions for workers would be worth it in the long term.
In a Wednesday (Mar 27) Facebook post, Assoc Prof Lim returned to the topic, noting that under the Child Development and Co-Savings Act, parents may have up to six days of paid childcare leave per year.
“But family care leave is currently only available in one direction. While families with kids have paid time off for taking care of their children, families with elderly members have no such leave entitlement,” he added.
He underlined that the care needs of the elderly “can quickly add up,” as those who live with elder parents know well.
These include both regular and more urgent medical appointments, which “become ever-more important as demographic changes in our population mean that the number of elderly in our midst will only increase, even as small family sizes also mean a higher likelihood that these parents live with their children.”
While some families are able to address the situation with live-in domestic help, others who have no means to do so need to take time off for caring for the needs of their elder family members, a burden that falls heaviest on singles living with their parents.
There are workplaces that offer flexibility for such needs, “but this currently relies on the largesse of employers,” added the MP.
He then explained how eldercare leave can work for both workers and their employers, writing, “Employees become less stressed about their parent-care duties, which makes them happier and more productive workers. And such workers enjoy better mental health due to a better work-life balance.”
However, until a law is passed making eldercare mandatory, some employers will fail to offer it, he added.
“Bad bosses can get away with it, since jobseekers aren’t in a position to bargain for eldercare leave. Poor employer behavior gets normalized, and the workforce is then worse off as a whole,” wrote Assoc Prof Lim, adding that it’s “time for the government to step in and correct this state of affairs, and eliminate the asymmetry between elder and child family care.” /TISG
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