Employees perceptions of the effectiveness of work-life balance programmes: the Singapore experience

Abstract

The concept of work-life balance gained widespread attention during the 1980s among researchers, academics and practitioners. The reasons for this interest are largely credited to the increase in women joining the labour force and the preponderance of dual income families in the workplace. These trends have encouraged organisations to implement work-life programmes to help employees cope with the demands of both work and family. Considering the importance of work-life balance programmes, the study focuses on the case of Singapore. An increasing number of organisations in Singapore are implementing work-life programmes. It now seems timely to explore the effectiveness of these programmes. The main research question of the study was to find out the employees' perception of the effectiveness of work-life balance programmes in their organisations. To answer this question, empirical research was conducted in two Singapore organisations that have implemented work-life balance programmes. A case study methodology was used to gather data through interviews, survey questionnaires and documentation. The data collected were analysed using content analysis. The findings showed that the implementation of work-life balance programmes in both organisations were valued and endorsed as being useful and effective in helping employees to strike a balance between work and family responsibilities. The study offered five explanations for the effectiveness of the work-life balance programmes. First, employees were able to better manage their time between work and family responsibilities. Second, employees experienced less stress at work and found their work environment to be more productive and meaningful. Third, the programmes enhanced employees' level of commitments towards work and the employers. Fourth, less stress experienced at work resulted in employees having a positive effect on family and personal time. The work-life balance programmes also helped to build a stronger bond between family members. Finally, the positive impact of implementation of work-life balance programmes has contributed to establishing good relationships not only with co-workers and family members but also with external clients from both the case organisations. This study contributes to both theory and practice. The main theoretical contribution is to highlight work-life balance programmes should be provided that is suitable for individuals needs. Practitioners should strive to better understand the tensions and dilemmas experienced by the users of the work-life balance programmes in terms of career advancement and promotions. Specifically, for Singapore practitioners, the study discovers that there is scope for promoting a family-friendly workplace culture if it is accompanied by changes in human resource policies and performance evaluations for the users of the work-life balance programmes.