Do only the women get it? Challenge talks to three men about work-life options in the Public Service. Tai Wei Shyong (Left), Director, Labour Relations Department, Labour Relations & Workplaces Division, Ministry of Manpower

Patrick Yee (Middle), Assistant Director, Human Resource Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mas Shafreen (Right), Manager, Corporate Communications & Events, PSC Secretariat, Public Service Division, Prime Minister's Office

What is your understanding of work-life harmony?

Patrick Yee (PY): Work-life harmony is the ability to cope with work demands as well as family and personal commitments; how well you integrate work as part and parcel of life.

Mas Shafreen (MS): At the end of the day, it is not a "proportion" issue but a "perception" issue; it's all about how you utilise the time and how you feel about it. Someone may dedicate long hours to work, but it could be a matter of individual choice and he could be fine with it.

PY: Yes, I think work-life harmony varies from person to person, and at different stages of life.

Before marriage, for example, you could be spending more time with friends. After you get married, you may want to spend more time with the family, especially when the kids are young. You need to change the way you work.

Tai Wei Shyong (TWS): From the employer's perspective, work-life harmony is about achieving better business performance through increased productivity, as well as coping with changes in labour market dynamics. Paying attention to work-life issues is also important to attract and retain talent. It helps bring people in and keep them within the organisation.

Do you think the work-life debate is skewed towards women?

PY: Not so much women, but perhaps people who have families. It may seem skewed towards women because women traditionally look after the children. But in the current context, I do not think men will be spared. I don't see why mothers have to be the ones making all the arrangements for taking care of the children.

TWS: The work-life debate should not be seen within the context of gender equality, but rather as part of the broader debate of how to create the best work environment for workers to contribute to their organisations, and at the same time allow them to satisfy their own ambitions and aspirations. What is interesting is that surveys show that work-life issues are high on the agenda not only for employees with families, but also for top performers. The key is for managers to understand their employees' needs and aspirations.

PY: Top-down approval will help to remove some of the self-censorship when it comes to asking for work-life options. I think that when there is a need, we have to be bold enough to approach the boss. Or do we feel that if we ask for assistance, the boss may rate us lower?

To some extent, this depends on an agency's culture. If everyone stays back till 10pm, you don't really feel right leaving at 6pm sharp, even though you may have finished your work. The peer pressure, the subconscious part of it, may sometimes outweigh the benefits of work-life programmes that may be in place.

MS: No matter where you are, even if the framework is in place and the initiatives are there, a lot of times things boil down to the working relationship, the interpersonal factor and the level of understanding in an organisation. And it's not just the boss. You need buy-in at all levels. Otherwise, the staff will not utilise the work-life options that they have.

Does opting for a work-life arrangement involve a trade-off in career progression?

TWS: Most work-life arrangements, such as staggered working hours, do not involve trade-offs but are a win-win proposition for the employee and the organisation. But there are situations that may require employees to be realistic. If you work half the amount of time as compared to your colleagues, should you expect promotion at the same rate? What is important is that the parameters are made clear right from the outset. The parties should sit down together to discuss each other's expectations.

PY: From the officer's perspective, if the organisation tells you up front that your career will be affected if you take a certain option, then it's very much a matter of individual preference. The individual has to rationalise the trade-off, for example, if you want to work part-time so that you can spend more time on something else.

MS: There also has to be some kind of assurance and a sense of empathy. For example, an officer may need time off to take care of parents. The organisation has to be able to provide support to ensure that the delivery of work is not affected.

When I first joined the workforce and had staff who were married, it came as a bit of a surprise when they said they needed to take time off to send the kids to school. Now I'm more understanding, and I'm still learning from the experiences of my peers and staff. It's important to realise that these flexible arrangements benefit the singles as well, because it's not just about children; it's also about taking care of parents.

What can organisations do to promote work-life harmony?

TWS: Work-life measures can be broadly grouped under four headings: Flexiwork, which includes part-time work; home-office work; employee support schemes such as gym memberships and concierge services; and various leave schemes such as family care leave. It is important for the options to be there, and there are private consultants who can help with this. But it is more important to have the right management culture. Management and staff should move away from looking at work-life issues within the framework of employee benefits. Work-life is about creating a better work experience and bringing productive benefits to the organisation: making things better for both parties.

PY: When an organisation looks at this issue, the key is to provide the flexibility and the options for the people. Give them the choice and tell them of the consequences and the impact of their choices. And then give them support, rather than just have the policy out there. Once you have all these, the officers will be more willing to come out and ask for help.

TWS: We find that most good work-life initiatives do not need money. It really boils down to the beliefs of the people implementing the idea.

How do you think you score on the work-life scale?
(with 1=total discord and 10=great work-life harmony)

TWS: 9 out of 10. MOM has a supportive culture. My boss makes a big difference. One principle he advocates is that whatever you do, it must be sustainable. Everyone goes through periods when they are able to devote more time and energy to work, and also when their attention is required elsewhere. He is sensitive to this. Technology has also helped. I would say that technology has been a great enabler of work-life harmony - mobile telephony and the Internet for example; things like that support work processes that give us greater flexibility.

PY: 7 at the most with my current job in HR operations in MFA. That's because we have colleagues in different parts of the world who operate in different time zones, and prompt response is expected, given the nature of our business environment. But I have an internal yardstick. When my son, who is three years old, calls to say, 'Daddy, come home?', that means my work-life harmony for that day is not so good. So what I usually do is to pack up, go home, play with him for a while, and when he sleeps, I get back to work. You need to change your lifestyle.

MS: 8. I've been doing corporate communications at PSC for four years now, and I've settled down to the job. Sometimes, I stay up late to catch a football game, and that is when I reply to my emails. Even if the hours are odd, it's wonderful because the work is flexible, and personal activity can be scheduled around it.