What Makes A Family Friendly Culture In The Workplace?

With all the challenges COVID-19 has brought down on our health and our homes, having a family friendly workplace culture feels more important than ever.

The pandemic has greatly impacted a lot of aspects of our lives, but perhaps none more than our family. Parents have been feeling a heightened sense of anxiety, with 67% of mothers reporting stress levels of seven or higher out of 10 in 2020. They struggle with balancing work, chores, and childcare, and the ongoing social isolation from the lockdowns.

Children, particularly the younger ones, are greatly affected by the loss of social interaction of the past year. Visual cues, which are helpful for a child's development, are difficult to find when faces are masked up most of the time.

As families continue to face challenges amidst COVID-19, many employees begin to reevaluate their priorities. According to Jobstreet's Decoding Global Talent report, 74% of respondents in Singapore would prefer working in a combination of remote and on-site modes, while 33% of respondents now prefer to work three days of the week remotely. They are more willing to follow a hybrid model of working compared to the global average.

However, having a home office may blur the lines between work and family life, which can prove distracting for many remote workers. Many parents have now had the "BBC Dad" experience of having their children barge in on work calls, potentially disrupting their flow of work. Household chores also add more challenges, making an already packed daily schedule even busier.

It is no surprise then, that among the top job preferences for employees, Singapore respondents in the Decoding Global Talent report cite good work-life balance among their top five priorities.

As all signs point to the hybrid work model being here to stay, it becomes even more important for employees to demand work-life balance from their companies.

Why is a family friendly culture important in the workplace?

A family friendly workplace benefits both employers and employees. While employees can employ strategies to thrive as working parents, an employer that cultivates a supportive work environment creates a more trusting and outcome-focused workforce.

In Singapore, the government recognises the advantages of promoting work-life balance and family-friendly workplaces. In April, the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore National Employers Federation and National Trades Union Congress launched the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony to encourage businesses to improve their remote work policies and other initiatives that can support their employees.

Among these initiatives include an enhanced Work-Life Grant for organizations so that they can better implement family friendly policies in their workplace. With these incentives available, employees should be able to demand better work arrangements from their employers.

What makes a family friendly culture or work environment?

A workplace with a family friendly culture supports its employees and makes it easier for them to balance family and work responsibilities. These companies think about their employees' personal needs and figure out ways on how to support them better. As an employee, you can deduce the culture from the organization's policies, values, and compensation and benefits packages.

Here are some initiatives and family friendly benefits that can help create a better workplace culture:

1. Flexible Work Arrangements (FWAs) - In Singapore, there are several types of FWAs, namely flexi-time/flexi-hours, part-time, job sharing, compressed work schedule and telecommuting. The Ministry of Manpower suggests that the employer assess the nature of the employee's role before choosing which type of arrangement will work best.
2. Leave benefits - Aside from government-mandated leaves, companies with a family friendly culture offer leave benefits that respond to a specific employee need. Examples of these are compassionate leave, extended maternity leave, family care leave, paternity leave and time off/urgent leave, among others.
3. Employee support schemes - These are benefits that can help employees manage their lives outside of work, such as health and wellness. For working parents, childcare subsidies can be very helpful in alleviating financial stress.

Companies in Singapore with Family Friendly Culture Policies

• Apple Singapore
  • Medical insurance covers child immunisations, maternity needs, and fertility treatments
  • Programmes that give new parents paid leave and allow them to return to work gradually
• Marina Bay Sands
  • Academically inclined children of staff receive the Marina Bay Sands Youth Education Award.
• Siemens Singapore
  • Legally married employees can claim S$3,000 to cover each of their children's delivery expenses.
  • For up to five days monthly, employees are free to work from home.
• DBS Bank
  • Employees get, among others, parental leave, adoption leave, neonatal care leave, and a sabbatical, which can last up to three months.
  • Staff members can opt to work from home part-time or work on a flexible time arrangement.

Remember: having a family friendly culture in the office benefits both employees and employers. There's no harm in asking for better compensation and benefits from your organisation, especially if it will help make you more efficient and productive.

If you're looking for job opportunities in a family friendly company, it is best to do your research beforehand and look up the benefits that an organisation offers. See if their benefits offered match your needs. We have a handy checklist here that can get you started:

You can check out our Career Resources page for more tips on how to manage working from home. It also offers expert insights and advice that could help give a boost to your career journey.

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